Nerf Guns, Paintball, and Rules

Last week we launched our new product and now we're needing to have a bit of a celebration. A team outing.As another meeting with one of the folks was winding down, that topic came up. She suggested that we could perhaps go out and play some paintball.I had a reaction to that -- one I didn't expect. I spend a reasonable amount of time around guns and I'm comfortable around them. I'm comfortable around people with guns too -- so long as they respect the rules. I though of picking up a gun-shaped thing and pointing it at someone and I just had a bad reaction. It goes against everything I've programmed myself.

1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

I know intellectually that something can be a paintball gun and that it's not going to "destroy" something or someone. But I'm struggling getting the programming out of my head.

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During the launch one of my teammates got a couple of Nerf guns. We have fun shooting them at the target we drew on the wall and at some cans sitting on divider walls. It's not really "match grade" and you can see the shot curve in the air -- but it's still fun.Even with the brightly colored red and yellow plastic I still flinch when someone flags me with a muzzle. I still cringe a bit when someone looks down the barrel to see why it didn't fire (as an aside, you can get your eye injured with a toy!). I still react a bit when someone if playing around with the trigger absent-mindedly.

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A don't abide by many rules. Some rules though I have etched in my head in a way I have a lot of trouble ignoring. That's probably a good thing.