Multitasking is the art of performing more than one job or task at the same time.
The word gained standard use in the computer industry where a primary goal was to program as many tasks as possible into the fastest time period available, generally in fractions of seconds.
Yet by definition, multitasking means not being able to focus completely on one subject. This should not be the mindset of those with concealed carry permits.
In the concealed carry community, the situation is very different. Carrying a weapon means accepting the responsibility to be aware of one’s surroundings at all times.
It’s analogous to a bow hunter in a tree who, in his efforts to be unobtrusive, must remain motionless and perfectly quiet, yet must still be aware of every movement and sound in the woods below.
This is a lifestyle that many concealed carry owners would consider common sense, but in the modern world, this notion has come to be known as situational awareness.
Author Rick Sapp provides an excellent definition of situational awareness in his article “Situational Awareness: Put the Phone Down!” on USConcealedCarry.com:
“Situational awareness involves being attentive to what’s happening around us in order to understand how “things” in the immediate environment----information, events, and one’s own actions----will or might impact us.”(Read more at USConcealedCarry.com)
The soldiers quickly learn to tune out the yelling and focus on the task at hand. These soldiers will be better prepared to perform the same task under fire in the field. This ability to eliminate distractions easily translates to Main Street, USA, where situational awareness can save lives.
Accidents that are chalked up to human error; plane crashes, factory mishaps, car accidents, train derailments, etc. are in actuality, the result of inadequate situational awareness in most cases.
As a member of the concealed carry community, it’s important to be prepared to respond when necessary. A permit carrier who believes in situational awareness is several steps closer to an effective response than one who is texting, eating, and trying to carry on a conversation.