My dad used to say that it's not good to be proud.  He would say he's pleased.  I used to have that same mentality and then I started having kids and we all know how it is to be proud of them when they make good choices, get good grades, have a clean bill of oral health...  You get the idea.

Well, Popeye's been gone now for a long time - I'm not even counting anymore.  I just know we're coming up to six weeks left of this madness.  Anyway.
This week they've been fighting.  (Re)Learning tactical moves, crowd control, you know... stuff like that.
The first day, Monday, he was pretty sore when it was all done.  Not because he got beat up - it was just a lot of exercise and moving in a way that he hasn't done in awhile.  I don't blame him.  They were all pretty sore by the sound of it. As they were scuffling around, his role was to get the other trooper's gun & that guy was supposed to keep Popeye away from his gun. 
Yeah.  Popeye got it right away.  The guy asked Popeye's buddy how he did it so fast and his buddy just said, "He's been doing this a long time." 
First proud moment for me.
second proud moment came when he reported his gun was not taken. (Insert dreamy sigh here...)
Then yesterday he reported to me that they got to fight the instructors.  You know that whole thing of "Payback being, well, unpleasant?" Yeah, it was.  (Let me just say really fast that the instructors at this academy are totally awesome and the best Popeye's ever had, hands down! So it really wasn't payback at all - just lots of pent up frustration with the classroom stuff being let out...)
Anyhow - continuing on.
Popeye's scenario:  He's a trooper approaching 2 truckers. The truckers jump him and try to take his gun.  (Both men each weigh over 200 pounds.) 
Popeye wrestled with both of them, shot one of them but couldn't get his gun around to get the other one.  He said this guy was leaning on his widpipe and he was about to pass out when in a last ditch effort to survive he struck the instructor in the head with the butt of his gun.  His instructor was wearing a helmet, so he was pretty sure he would be okay.
He wasn't.  Popeye missed the helmet and cut the guy's head open.  He needed 4 stitches.  Popeye got a scratch below his right eye.
He felt so bad but the instructor was cool about it.  He wants Popeye to take him to dinner, but he was cool.

Now, I may be tooting horns over here - but there's something to be said about a man holding his own when it comes to things like this.  I've always been jealous of my girlies with their hubbies who can build cabinets, fix cars, and know how to build a house from the basement up.  But man, can my man hold his own when it comes to guns and fighting. 
And it brings a sense of pride that far outweighs any cavity-free report from the dentist.
I just wish that they were allowed to videotape it so that I could see my man in action.  You know those old westerns (or any lovey-type story) where the men fight over the women? It's no wonder the women end up with those men in the end.  It's SEXY seeing your man sacrifice his body like that!  There's something about brute force, sweat and skill that sends my heart racing a little faster.
So Dad, while I know you meant well when you said that we should'nt have pride - I didn't learn that lesson well.
What does YOUR man do that makes your heart all a-flutter? (And carpentry is perfectly acceptable. :D)
(BTW, he did text me a pic of his eye but threatened that if I posted it he wouldn't come home.  And I SOOO want him home.  So you'll have to trust me on this one.)