I miss it

Borepatch writes up his thoughts on the Appleseed he attended, and one line really sums it up for me:

And on the drive home, he said "Thanks for bringing me here, Dad."

I still miss Appleseed instructing from time to time. It's a phenomenal camaraderie, a worthy cause, and almost always incredibly rewarding. I'm sure the teachers (inside and outside the schools) can attest to the immense satisfaction that comes when you see the light come on. The eyes focus, the brow smooths, the tightened lips curve up ... magic.

My work schedule made it very hard to make the commitment they asked of me; the gentle pushes and less gentle goads and occasional outright rudeness from senior staff is what ended up pushing me away as an instructor. (That ended with me being called a "sunshine patriot": the Jeffersonian way of saying, "Don't let the doorknob hit ya on the way out.")

That said, I still miss it. I may see if I can fit in a shoot this summer or early fall, and pick the brains of the instructors to see if things have changed or improved. Or maybe I'll just enjoy a weekend of shooting and relaxing with like-minded folks. Either way, I need to go again.