Best encounter ever.
Here's a positive encounter for a change!
So about a month ago I was having lunch with a couple friends at Jaspers in Medford. Best burger in the rogue valley, and the owner John is a super cool guy who always talks to me about guns and whenever I come in and who has several prominent gun-rights and liberty-oriented flags, bumper stickers, and posters up in the restaurant.
Anyway, I was digging into my Blue Grit burger (blue cheese, onion crisps, A1 steaksauce... Delicious!) that I'd got half off that day as it was the "gambler's special" and I'd rolled a 12 when a young mother about thirty tapped me on the shoulder o her way to the soda fountain.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you, could you wave to our kids so they know you're not a bad guy?" she said as she indicated a table in the corner where her husband and two young (probably about 4 and 7 years old) children sat.
"Oh, sure, I'm sorry if I scared them," I said as I put down my burger and hastily chewed through the bite that was already in my mouth.
"Oh, no!" she replied, "We just want them to know that good guys carry guns! It's a good teachable moment!"
I waved to the kids and said, "Hey guys! Don't worry, I'm a good guy. I carry a gun to protect people!"
The kids grinned widely and the dad gave them a, "Told you so!" before turning to me and chuckling as he thanked me. I told the mom her kids were lucky to have such awesome parents, and she said they were glad people like me carried! It was probably the coolest encounter I've ever had. Glad to see there are some parents out there actively countering all the myths their kids might learn through public school and the media.