Lunch with a Sheepdog

I set a lunch with an old neighbor because my dad suggested he might be a good person to talk to about a letter of recommendation for my CCW permit. I wanted to talk to him about why I chose to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon, but he started talking about entrepreneurialism. I've been pondering this topic for some time, so all his input was more than welcome.

When we got around to talking about the permit, he asked me why I wanted the permit. I told him that I knew that the police couldn't be everywhere, and that when it came down to it; the person in charge of protecting my loved ones and myself was me.

"So, you're looking to take a more 'active' role."
(Uh oh, we're into that omnipresent gray area. I know he takes a pretty active role, but he doesn't use a gun. Better make sure we're on the same page before I come off as a PDwannabe)
"Well, I don't plan on being a vigilante if that's what you're asking."
"Oh no, you misunderstand me. I mean... If you're unarmed, and you see a woman getting beat up in an alley by two men, what do you do?"
"I grab the arm of the nearest person, tell then to call 911, and haul ass over to stop them."
"'Stop them'... you could be seriously injured or killed doing that"
"I decided a long time ago that I would never be one of those people who stands there and watches someone get killed or seriously injured. There's a quote that I heard, 'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing' it really kind of changed the way I think about myself. I'll never do nothing."
"Good. You've really thought this through."
"It's an important decision."

Once we were clear of the vigilante/PDwannabe/mall ninja/sheepdog hurdle, we understood each other and were able to talk about sheepdoggery more freely. (it is kind of an odd topic in Kalifornia where it is thought that the police save everyone instantly and are faultless) He's a big guy, and is not afraid to get in peoples' faces, he also is very well connected to the police department, and has several personal cell numbers of cops who work in the area. Whenever he sees something going on, he calls someone who's on duty, and they're there in minutes. No 911, no busy signal, no waiting, no triage. He also actively maintains these relationships and is careful not to misuse them. He admits that he very rarely is "active" and usually relies on passive avenues of ascertaining threats and diffusing situations (having already placed his phone call). He also has a rule that he'll never "go active" when with loved ones. He confided that he had once sent his wife away on a false alarm. "That was tense. It was the only time I wished I'd had a gun."

I picked up a lot of logistical sheepdog info from him. Everyone wants to talk about how you act and what you do when the time comes to stand out from the sheep, but no one talks about how you get through the days when nothing happens, and you have to deal with the sheep who regard you as they would a wolf.

Definitely an interesting discussion.