Men are Hunters, Women are Gatherers

This is a fact. The men at my house love to hunt--food, any animal or fish they may be able to catch, stray things in the grass (mostly just D does that). Me? I gather--I gather groceries, laundry, gray hair. I gather lots of things really, I'm good at gathering--it's innate!! I am NOT a hunter however. But, I am learning. J and I don't have a lot of TRUE interests that are the same (except that we kinda like each other). He likes to race--I like to speed--only on the highway and only if it's me driving. He likes to fish and hunt--I don't like worms or slimy things and I'm not real patient, so waiting quietly to shoot at something isn't my bag either. I like to shop--well, you know where this is going as far as his point of view. I like musicals and cultural type experiences--He prefers Jim Carey and stupid humor. I love to garden and create things in my yard--If it doesn't include him, he loves gardening too. So for the sake of finding something that we can do together that we enjoy, I told him that I would learn to shoot a bow and arrow.

Some friends of ours started a bow club last year and invited us to try it out this winter. So we went to their shoot in March. J got his set out and worked with it a little before we went. I didn't have one, but wanted to check it out anyway. They also have a sitter for the kids which worked out great. It was fun. J really enjoyed it, and I thought it would be something that I could enjoy too. So, Mr. King of Ebay set out to find a reasonable investment for me, that the boys could use if I just hated it. We got it a couple weeks ago but hadn't tried it out yet. Thus the inspiration for the story. Now, mind you, the only time I ever shot a bow was as a kid at 4-H camp a couple of days during the summer. Fun times. We went out behind his shop where his little target deal is. He went through the important stuff, you know, how to hold it, how to load it, how to stand--blah blah blah. I shot. . . WAY over the target it sailed ( I should report that I had 4 arrows). Seems I was using the wrong sighter dealy to line up the target with. Anyway, he made me move 20 feet from the target even tho I argued that I would do better since he told me which thing to use. So, I did hit the target next time.

About this time, D showed up--looking like Robin Hood. J got him a kids set for Christmas, which I obviously hadn't seen all put together. He has little leather arm things, and glove deals where only his fingers stick out, and a leather thing hung around his neck with his arrows in it, just like cupid. He whipped out an arrow, aimed at the target and shot--POW. Got it (not where he was aiming he informed me, but a hit nonetheless--better than my first try) So here I was competing with a 6 year old and losing.

I was starting to get the hang of. The string kept wacking my left forearm after I shot, which leaves big red welts and smarts really bad (Wuss or otherwise--I'm sure anyone would agree) And then there's this thing they invented that grasps the string and velcros around your pulling wrist (so's you don't hurt your tender fingertips). That little deal is a pain in the rump. You have to keep your finger behind it lest it shoot off unexpectedly, then, when you are ready, you put your finger in front of it and pull it like a trigger, which releases the arrow. I really had a hard time catching on to that, which is how I lost my next two arrows--I was a little confused. So, down to only one arrow, we decided it best to save the rest of the lesson for another day. My arm looks like I have been beaten, so if anyone suspicious comes around asking questions--please tell them that he really IS a good guy!! And, he DID find my arrows farther down in the pasture. He just kept shaking his head and smilin!