Meet Heather

Hello and welcome to my page. My name is Heather and I am from a small town in Texas called Ballinger. My family name has been there for as long as I can trace back. My brother and I were raised by my paternal grandparents in a very traditional home. My grandfather worked a lot to provide for the family and barely talked to the children. My grandmother was a peaceful woman who had her own way of building us up. Unfortunately, I still had to see my mother’s side of the family from time to time. One time, while staying with my other grandparents, my grandfather took away my trust of men. When I told my grandmother, she called me a liar and told me I was trying to tear the family apart. Prior to this happening, my mother sold my belongings for a bus ticket back to the man who put a cigarette out on her forehead. Standing there, listening to my grandmother degrade my character, after being attacked by my grandfather, was the most alone I had ever felt. However, I realized I had all the hope I needed in my brother. I thought about my brother and how much I needed his support and how much he needed mine. All we had were each other, I had to be strong.

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My mother wasn’t there when I needed her the most. I put an emotional wall up around myself. But looking back on those events, I learned something very valuable. I depended on my mother but all I had was myself in those moments. I didn’t know God at the time. I was a child, so I didn’t know better and I wasn’t physically prepared to handle the hurt, grief, and embarrassment. I was too ashamed to talk about what I had been through. I spend most of my teenage years angry at everyone around me.

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When 9/11 happened, I was in my junior year of high school. It changed my entire perspective on life. After I saw the man falling from the burning building, I knew he had made the decision to end his life on his own terms. I knew I needed to change my life in a positive way. I immediately decided to join the military. I joined the United States Air Force at the age of 17. Since I was a minor, my dad had to sign the paperwork. My decision was resolute and I felt like I had gained a new purpose. Shortly after graduating from high school, I left for basic training. The day I graduated from basic and saw everyone in uniform marching with precision, it was the first time I had ever felt proud of myself.

Even with my newfound purpose and pride, I still felt lost. I was married to a man for seven years who was both emotionally and physically abusive. Our relationship was toxic. One night he decided to pulled a gun on himself. It wasn’t loaded but I didn’t know. At that moment, I decided to learn everything I could about handguns and to challenge myself to have confidence in handling a pistol in any scenario. Like most people, I was scared at first. Then it became an enjoyable hobby. I continued pushing my knowledge. After talking with other women, I realized they felt like I did. Either afraid or not knowing where to start. I attended an NRA Instructor Course for Basic Pistol and Home Firearm Safety. I decided to leave my well-paying job to set out on a new adventure, educating women. High Caliber Lady is a mission to change the way women carry themselves in their everyday lives in order to refuse to be a victim.