I'll preface by saying I'm aware this ordinarily isn't a term of endearment, but its a title I've taken on with some humor, enjoyment, and satisfaction. Enough so that I've gotten a multicam tab for my gear or boonie cap.
It started a few weeks ago, when I last went shooting... The state game area I like going to (an old sand quarry with a deep bowl for a backstop) was reportedly overrun by some jack offs scaring the regulars out.
"That Guy" isn't scared, he simply dons full kit and wanders in - alone - after seeing a Mercedes sedan in the parking lot (not normal)
He then, with AR in hand, pistol on leg, and a vest full of ammo, walks very quietly along the trail, until he sees the occupants of said Mercedes. Without a word spoken, he waves, walks by, and lays out a poncho as a picnic blanket. Until then, there had been steady shooting. It went silent enough "that guy" started listening for evidence of people creeping up behind him - only to hear said Mercedes start and drive off.
Coincidence? I don't know. But it got my buddy and I talking about the "crazy guy in the woods" stories, to which I replied "Dude! I. AM. That. Guy!"
Hilarity ensues.
"That Guy" can't settle for just any big freakin' knife - he has to have the bayonet appropriate to the painted long arm of his choice.
"That Guy" doesn't carry a range bag - that's what the fighting load carrier and war belt is for.
"That Guy" is "demented" according to a hippie chick, because he's interested in "instruments of death and destruction."
Its more fun in discussion, and in the moment, but I'm betting you get the picture.
Anyway, I'm realizing over the past few days that being "that guy" isn't all fun and games. There's a responsibility that comes with it, and some serious stuff. Being "that guy" can mean you are also "the guy" people call when they have a problem.
"That Guy" isn't afraid to do a midnight perimeter check of a friend's home when that friend is at a hospital bedside with his wife, and the kids at home "hear something." He gets immense satisfaction out of knowing the friend's kids fell right asleep, worry free, after he looked around.
"That Guy" is the same one a sister calls because her husband is out of town, and she has a wounded, wild animal somewhere around her home. Had she called him earlier, he'd have left work to dispatch it for her. Instead, its now crawled off.
Come to think of it, that same sister has also called "That Guy" because something went bump in the night...
I'm admittedly still having a little fun with the "that guy" concept in this, but it really does make me think a bit. I'm not much good for fixing cars or homes, and I don't get called - much - for any of that, but when people are scared, or facing something difficult, I am the guy they call.
There's some satisfaction in that.
Anyone else have similar stories of themselves, or someone close to them? I posted this largely in fun, but it'd be interesting to hear what some of the difficult things you may have been called for - like hunting attic squirrels?
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