Tiongson 1

Jeremy Tiongson
Professor Collins
English 115
25th September, 2015
Exercise 1: The Word Picture
The range on which we fire at our targets offers the most experience with this landscape.
From dawn till dust, the images of mountains beyond our targets slightly change color from first
black, dark brown, dirt red, slight hints of green, back to dirt red, dark brown, and black when
the sun sets just behind them. As I step onto the range, rifle and ammunition in hand, I take in the
view from the dessert dirt on the ground, seemingly reachable mountains, to the clear blue sky. I
know I would not be able to see it again once I go back home to Los Angeles. "Lock and load
your first 20-round magazine, and commence firing," the control tower orders. I begin to
accurately fire single rounds at my targets. I feel every recoil of my rifle, smell the faint scent of
carbon as the shell exits the port, and hear the "bing" as the bullet hits the target. Much of this I
enjoy, because it brings me back to when first learning how to shoot was accompanied by yelling
drill sergeants. But now... Now it is accompanied by a calm, beautiful sight.