I just want to be me!

Now, more than when I was a kid, acceptance is taught in schools. In fact there are many national acceptance campaigns. I think that is wonderful because I believe that God blessed each and everyone of us with unique abilities and passions and he wants us to use our special gifts to do good in the world.  I believe that God gave me my passion for hunting and the outdoors.  In fact, my parents joke that I was born in the woods because it's always been my home, the place where I was most free. I love the outdoors so much that I share it with all my close friends.  My husband and I have taught many of our friends and their children how to hunt. Out in the woods and on a lake is where I find I can be the best advocate for God, how can you not when you are surrounded by the beauty He created?

So it really frustrates me when the world teaches that we must accept everyone, unless they hunt or are passionate about guns. It gets even worse for me when people find out that I'm an apprentice to a local taxidermist.  The fact that a girl loves guns, kills animals and also works with taxidermy is apparently too much to accept and is deserving of shame.  Through my other jobs as a volleyball coach and referee I have the opportunity to meet many amazing people and build great friendships. However, I find that I have started to dread the moment when they ask me what I do outside of volleyball or what I did the past weekend.  Almost every time it ends the conversation abruptly or leads to them lecturing me about fair treatment of animals. So much so, that I have become a master at defending hunting. It cracks me up that many of these people will scold me for killing a beautiful animal while taking a bite of a hamburger.  I waste no time in pointing out the hypocrisy and the fact that a kill from a skilled ethical hunter is far more humane than a slaughter house.  I just wish that people made an effort to get to know me and accepted me for who I am.

Even taxidermy can be a way to serve God and our neighbors. The taxidermist that is teaching me does work with the "hunt of a lifetime" charity. We have a mount in the shop now that is being finished for a local child with a terminal illness. That child was able to go on a dream hunt with an outfitter and my boss donated his time and the supplies for the mount so the child and parents will have the memories from the dream hunt for a lifetime. Even in hunting and taxidermy we can do great things for people.

Hunters and outdoorsmen are an amazing group people, people of passion with good hearts. Gun owners are not evil curmudgeons with a hair trigger.  Most of us are knowledgeable, skilled and very safety conscious. God made us all and blessed us with our gifts, at least at the end of the day I know I have His acceptance.