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What's the meaning of this sentence?
Sterling was attentive in his marksmanship instruction. Murph and I both had our highest qualification scores ever. Sterling was pleased with us and seemed to be in a good mood. “Anything less than forty out of forty is operator error,” he said. We moved to a small hill that sloped down from the firing line. We relaxed and sat at his feet as he reclined on the hill, oblivious to the snow. “I think y’all might be all right.” For a while we didn’t speak. It was enough to be satisfied with his approval. The sun was still high over the berm at the end of the range when Murph started talking.
“What’s it like over there, Sarge?” Murph asked sheepishly. He was sitting cross-legged in the snow, his rifle over his lap like he was cradling a doll.
Sterling laughed. “God, that fucking question.” He had begun gathering rocks and tossing them into my upturned Kevlar.
Murph looked away from him.
He spoke firmly. “They aren’t gonna pop up and wait for you to shoot them. Remember your fundamentals and you’ll be able to do what needs to be done. It’s hard at first, but it’s simple. Anybody can do it. Get a steady position and a good sight picture, control your breathing and squeeze. For some people, it’s tough after. But most people want to do it when the time comes.”
“Hard to imagine,” I said. “You know, whether we’ll be one or the other?”
He paused. “Better get to fucking imagining.” He started to chuckle again. “Just gotta dig deep. Find that nasty streak.”
I listened to the crack of rifles on the line. Saw branches lift and shake off snow when birds took flight, startled at the sound. The sun was small and bright in the sky. The rain had let up to a noisy drizzle.
“How do we do that?” I asked.
Sterling feigned frustration, but I could tell our solid performance on the range had given us some latitude. “Don’t worry. I’ll help.” He seemed to catch something spilling out of himself and corrected his bearing. My Kevlar was full of rocks.
What's the meaning of "He seemed to catch something spilling out of himself and corrected his bearing." What's the meaning of "bearing" here?
Thanks!
“What’s it like over there, Sarge?” Murph asked sheepishly. He was sitting cross-legged in the snow, his rifle over his lap like he was cradling a doll.
Sterling laughed. “God, that fucking question.” He had begun gathering rocks and tossing them into my upturned Kevlar.
Murph looked away from him.
He spoke firmly. “They aren’t gonna pop up and wait for you to shoot them. Remember your fundamentals and you’ll be able to do what needs to be done. It’s hard at first, but it’s simple. Anybody can do it. Get a steady position and a good sight picture, control your breathing and squeeze. For some people, it’s tough after. But most people want to do it when the time comes.”
“Hard to imagine,” I said. “You know, whether we’ll be one or the other?”
He paused. “Better get to fucking imagining.” He started to chuckle again. “Just gotta dig deep. Find that nasty streak.”
I listened to the crack of rifles on the line. Saw branches lift and shake off snow when birds took flight, startled at the sound. The sun was small and bright in the sky. The rain had let up to a noisy drizzle.
“How do we do that?” I asked.
Sterling feigned frustration, but I could tell our solid performance on the range had given us some latitude. “Don’t worry. I’ll help.” He seemed to catch something spilling out of himself and corrected his bearing. My Kevlar was full of rocks.
What's the meaning of "He seemed to catch something spilling out of himself and corrected his bearing." What's the meaning of "bearing" here?
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Your bearing is the way you hold yourself - partly your posture, partly your demeanour.
So - when he spoke, he perhaps started to relax, or become emotional. He realised that, and 'pulled himself back together' - became alert, sat back up straight, perhaps.
So - when he spoke, he perhaps started to relax, or become emotional. He realised that, and 'pulled himself back together' - became alert, sat back up straight, perhaps.
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