Firearm safety

I don't really like guns much - I suppose I did when I was younger, much younger actually. The number of guns I've actually shot amounts to nothing the least bit impressive: a couple of air rifles, an air pistol and a .22 caliber rifle. I've never fired a shotgun or any higher powered gun than those I've already mentioned. As a boy I thought I'd like to hunt one day, but not having a father or uncles who were hunters, I guess I grew out of it.

I just don't really like guns much. Don't get me wrong, God forbid I ever be in a situation where I actually need a gun, I guess I'd wish I had one. I just don't like what guns do, and that's based on what I know them to do - which is kill and hurt. Maybe that's the opposite side of the coin from defend and feed.Maybe I need a gun now - but I tend to see that as more like "I might need a gun some day, sure, I could find myself faced with defending my life - though I'd like to think I won't have to." I guess that's pretty idealistic given how often I see news stories of guns being in the wrong hands.

Now that we have my view of guns out of the way, a good friend of mine does like guns - actually I have several friends who like, and have guns. One particular friend often shows me his handguns when I talk to him on skype. I'm okay with that and sometimes I joke that I'll laugh my ass off if he fires a bullet into his laptop and disappears from view mid-chat. Think about it - that would be kind of funny given all the times this friend has told me he's very safe with guns and practices great care. I can just see it playing out:

Me: Man be careful - what if that's loaded?

Friend: relax, you're all the way across the country in Ohio and besides, it's most definitely not load...
POW!! 

Then my friend disappears from my skype window and I'm looking at a black space where he was just a split second ago, pre-POW! No audio, no video - no old friend that I'm chatting with. Not five minutes later, my phone rings:

Me (noticing it's my friend that I was chatting via Skype with): What's up?

Friend: Son of a bitch! Fucking gun was loaded...there goes my mac book pro!

Me: I'm laughing a bit too hard to say anything...which would most likely be...oh I dunno, something to the effect of 'told ya so'

Friend: Stop laughing Goddammit, it's not funny!

Me: it's a little funny

Friend: no, it's not funny - not even a little bit funny, so stop your laughing!

Me: careful - you don't wanna go shooting your phone bro!

Friend: shut the fuck UP

Me: or? more laughing, which is basically because when you think something is funny and someone else doesn't, that can often make something even more funny - not always mind you, but sometimes. This is one of those times.

And so it is that this imaginary scenario came close to actually playing out last night as I was talking with my friend on my way to work. He had me on speaker phone, so it was a bit unclear what he was saying. I'm not quite sure why it sounded like he was having a sneezing fit - but what had actually happened, was that he fired a shot into one of his ceiling beams. I'm only laughing because no one was hurt and yes, he still has his mac book pro.