Lately, really since a little before Christmas I have gotten into shooting sporting clays. If you research sporting clays even just a little bit, you’ll find it’s comparable to golf, but with a shotgun. I would say this is an appropriate analogy. This ‘sport’ if you will, has me hooked. There’s a fair amount of strategy as you try to shoot the bird (clay Pidgeon) as it’s presented to you in a variety of different formats. It’s also something that you can do outdoors and once you’re out on your circuit of stations, you can do so at an appropriate social distance. This activity, Sporting Clays, is one where you can just be outside and not worry about COVID. It’s a strangely normal activity harkening back to a time when you could do things without worry. Also, interestingly, is the lack of ‘politics’ or divisiveness that seems to be commonplace these days. It’s just a place where folks go to shoot their guns and relax trying to bust more than just a few clays. It’s strange to me such a place exists, but it’s a focus on just the activity and if anything is a wonderful change of pace this is it!
To be successful with Sporting Clays, you have to rely on your unconscious mind. If you think too much, if you aim, you’re going to miss. Shooting on instinct is far more reliable a method than having the opportunity to aim. Shut off the mind, see the target and shoot. It’s quite possibly, aside from riding my motorcycle, one of the most Zen things I have done in a very long time. A respite from the mind… a respite from the world, all within 20 miles of where I live and a blessed hour or so of focus on being outside.
This past weekend I took part in a ‘competition’ or fun shoot as was described by the sporting clays range where I shoot. After multiple weeks of getting better at shooting, I more or less had my ass handed to me. I shot a 37 out of 100 targets, a 37! Pathetic really, but I couldn’t be more excited about a 37. I think I shot a 17 out of 50 true pairs as well – also pathetic – but considering I’ve been doing this for 3 weeks, I’m pretty damned stoked. As I have been progressing on my own, I’ve shot very well – like 35 out of 50 on my own, in competition though that number dropped… I honestly don’t really care – it was a learning experience. I was very fortunate to be able to ‘squad’ with 3 older gentleman who are much better than I am who imparted knowledge as coaching to try to get me to improve my shooting.
This is such an odd blog post for me – has zero to do with emotional wellbeing or states of mind, but rather – a focus on an activity. It’s neither salty, nor sweet – like the clays flying through the air, either they’ll be busted on the way up, on the way down or by gravity. Gravity always gets them! (maybe that’s a salty metaphor!)
As always, I hope if you’re reading this you can be kind to yourself and others, look for goodness, be someone’s rock or place of safety, or find one who can be that for you. Take good care of yourself and those in your vicinity – spread kindness and love.