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| How I obtained my first shotgun |
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| Written by Michael Trebesh |
| Friday, 18 December 2009 10:23 |
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After agreeing to several rules of gun safety and proper gun handling I received my first gun from dad at the age of eight. It was a bolt action Remington 22. I used that prized possession for countless hours of exciting and pleasurable hunting.
On October afternoons when the school day conclude and after completion of my assigned farm chores I would uncase my 22 and rush out to the hickory and acorn laced forest. The forest was 6 acres in size but it seemed endless to the perception of a young boy. The forest was beautiful with a rainbow of colors and on a sunny and warm afternoon it seemed to be my world all alone Then as now, hunting represents freedom. I was outdoors and in control of my destiny; success or failure rested in my hands and skills. I would relax in the forest for hours on end in wait of prey, gray and red squirrels. Dad’s forest seemed to be filled with these crafty creatures. Patients as well as being a good shot were required to harvest two squirrels a day. After cleaning my two trophies of the day, mom would soak them in salt water and prepare them for the next day’s delicious meal. Reaching the age of eleven I began to dream of bigger game than squirrel. I wanted to hunt ring neck pheasants and cotton tail rabbits. Bagging this type of wildlife was not feasible with a 22 rifle; so I quickly concluded I needed a shotgun. I borrowed and tested several 12 gauge shotguns and found them to be too big and have too much recoil for a small boy of 75 pounds. Next, I borrowed a 410 and concluded it too light for my intended use. Finally, I narrowed my selection to a 16 gauge shotgun. To me it seemed to have the right feel... Now, the big question was how to acquire a shotgun of my dreams. My parents were agreeable to me acquiring a shotgun because I had reinforced their confidence by the way I handled the 22. However, I knew my parents could not afford to purchase it outright for me and the odd jobs I perform provided only a little spending money for items such as candy and bicycle repairs. Therefore, I had to devise an alternative that would be realistic and agreeable to my parents. One day as I looked through my mother’s Top Value stamp redemption catalog I saw a 16 gauge shotgun I knew I would be happy to own. In the 1950’s and 60’s Top Value redemption stamps were awarded to customers as an inducement to purchase merchandise. Customers would receive one stamp for each ten cents of purchase price. You only needed 50 stamps per page and there were only 20 pages per book. The seemingly good news was I only needed eleven books in total to be the proud owner of my very own 16 gauge shotgun. To a ten year old it seemed like an easy and reachable task. My mother was a little apprehensive when I first broached the idea. She cautioned me by saying” do you know how long it will take to fill eleven books of Top Value stamps?” In my eagerness I responded with “a couple of weeks.” No, maybe a year” she replied. My smile dropped for a few seconds and I said “ok we can work together on this project.” For the next several months I anxiously awaited mom’s return from each trip to the store and upon her entering the house I would ask how many stamps today? Progress was slow but steady until several of my aunts, uncles and neighbors jumped in and assisted this little boy with big dreams. It took almost a year to assemble enough stamps to reach my shotgun goal. Of course I was impatient during this time period and my one fear was the Top Value redemption center would raise the required number of stamp books. After assembling the required number of stamp books mom drove me to the stamp redemption store Much to my relief they had not increased the number of stamps needed but to my dismay I learned I could not take my gun home with me. They did not carry guns in their inventory. But I exclaimed “I need the gun for opening day of pheasant season which was only a few weeks away.” The nice lady clerk informed this sad little boy that I should have my gun in time. Disappointed, mom and I departed with the hope my prize would arrive by mail in time for me to bag a rooster on opening day. As you can imagine every day upon returning home from school I would ask mom if we received a package in the mail. For many long days the answer was no. However, much to my delight two days before opening day her reply turned to a happy yes. I immediately set down my books and quickly preceded to the kitchen table were I found a box 2 inches in depth, 6 inches in width and about 30 inches long. I hesitated awhile in amazement before picking up this grand package. Mom said “go ahead an open it, you have been waiting in anticipation so long.” I opened the box carefully, not wanting to damage the valuable contents. Taking the contents out and with mom’s assistance I assemble my first shotgun. I was so proud. I knew I had achieved and reached a very important milestone in my life. Looking back on the events leading up to my first shotgun I realize it gave me a foundation that would serve me well in later years. Lessons including recognition of a need, identifying options to success, working with others and patience. Gun ownership then and now has proven to be valuable in many, many ways. Michael Trebesh, CPA Candidate for 33rd District, Michigan Senate About the author: Michael Trebesh is a dedicated advocate of the second amendment and member of the NRA, Pheasants Unlimited, North American Hunting Club, and Whitetails Unlimited. |