My story has a good ending so don't be afraid to read it. In fact you should find it comforting to find out what the conclusion is.
Last year in the month of November I had to drive from Houston to Centralia, Oklahoma. It was not a particularly good time of year for travel by car. The weather had been bad for a few days and there was a forecast for snow in northern Oklahoma. This was not a trip that I really wanted to take, but it was necessary.
My mother, who lived in Centralia, was in poor physical condition in the hospital. They did not expect her to live much longer. My mother and I were very close and felt compelled to go. My husband was on a business trip to New York and would not be back home until the end of the month. This trip was something I had to do by myself.
I had my car serviced the day before I was to leave, so I would not have to worry about that. My trip started out at 11:30 AM, so I would have a lot of daylight in which I could drive. Weather was cloudy in Houston, but no rain. Temperature had dropped the night before to 30 degrees, it was forecast to get much colder as the day went on. I was set for a good, smooth trip. Was not planning to stop accept for food and gas.
Everything was fine until I got just north of Porum on Oklahoma Route 2. That is when the “check engine” light came on and started a clicking noise. That was not very comforting. Murphy's law was in full effect. When anything will not go wrong, it most certainly will!
I pulled off the highway on to a small road and to the side of that road. Bad weather was coming south and it had started a light rain. Naturally there was nothing around that area like a service station or a house. The rain was coming down harder now, so I didn't want to get out and walk
This situation is why we have AAA. They could surely help me be on my way. I got out my AAA card and called the customer service line. I was told that the closest service center was in Muskoogee, about 40 miles to the north. They would come to my aid, but it would be some time before they could get there.
Fortunately I had the good sense to prepare for such situations long ago. I took the NRA Shooting course to get ready for my concealed carry permit. My instructor in the last class helped me figure out what would be the best concealed carry pistol for me. Turns out it is a Glock 19. I determined that this pistol was the best fit for my hand. It felt very comfortable, and most important I was very accurate when practicing with it.
I had this pistol in my purse and was able to use it if needed. That is a comfort level that you always want to have. I did not have to depend on someone else to provide protection, I could do it myself if needed.
I had been carrying the Glock for about 5 weeks and had become very comfortable with it being in my bag. I went to the range a couple times a week and had become very accurate with it.
After I got my concealed carry permit I wanted to get a fashionable purse to carry it in. One of my girl friends told me about Pistol Packn Mama. She said they had several styles of very high quality leather purses. She had 3 of them, each for a different kind of occasion. I should check it out. I found an over the shoulder purse on the PPM site in a dark brown that can be carried as a crossbody as well. It fits exactly the kind of concealed purse that I wanted. My purse is the Raelynn Leather Crossbody Purse.
By this time the rain had turned to sleet. It was not letting up. It was very improbable that my rescue call would be filled any time soon. I had waited about 6 hours, it was going to be dark soon. I was starting to think I was going to be stuck in my car for the night.
Then I saw lights on the main road behind me. It was one of those big pickup type trucks with big tires. He was moving very slow because the road had become slick from the precipitation and the temperature. When he got about even with the turn off to the small road where I was located, he stopped.
I thought it was time to get my pistol close by for protection if needed. He got out of the truck and started toward my car. The sleet was coming down so that I could not make out his face under the hat he was wearing.
Then he was right next to my car. He tapped on the window with his flashlight and asked if I needed some help. I thought I recognized the voice and wiped the condensation off the inside of the window so I could see him. To my surprise it was my first cousin, Bill James. I started to laugh and said “You bet I do!”
His truck had the ability to tow a car, so he hooked mine up and off we went.
I tell this story to encourage you to get a concealed carry permit and a quality purse to carry it in. The pistol in the bag was a great comfort while I was waiting
