Hey CrazedChris,
i second mamaliberty- you'll find that this forum is just like any general population out there- just bc this is a gun community- does not mean everyone will treat you as a friend- and best to do, is to ignore politely, and KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS. you will be the one with the most to gain.
You did not mention what kind of gun you're carrying- and what action is it? Heres a few points i'm trying to make, and its IMHO and only refers to semiautomatics, and i will use my own guns as examples- these focus on, a more serious question- which follows the decision of carrying a loaded gun- which is- the decision whether to carry a loaded gun with a chambered round or not.
I own a compact Kimber 1911, 45ACP. This is a SA (single action)- for the purposes of applying only what is relevant to this thread only- SA is a relatively light trigger pull (compared to DA aka double action)- And its hammer action (which you cock by hand on SA). With something like a 1911, a matter of carrying loaded- will also direct you towards three "conditions" in which you can carry it in. The most "ready to go" condition, is Condition 1: "cocked and locked" This is a chambered rd, and hammer cocked. The locked part is a thumb safety that is located near the slide, and very ergonomically placed. Condition 2: chambered rd, but not cocked. Bc its not cocked, therefore, it will not "thumb lock" so- when drawing, you cock. Condition 3: Chamber empty and not cocked. So, when drawing, racking the slide will both chamber a rd and cock. Most will say that this condition leaves you the most vulnerable, due to the racking action. Edit* also, another safety a 1911 has is a grip safety... meaning, there's a raised area/button behind the grip- and it must be depressed, in order for the gun to fire.
Then you have DAO guns (these are double action only)- from what i know... i dont think these are exposed hammer action- they are mostly striker fired- which means that a spring hits the firing pin instead of a hammer- and thus, the action is hidden.... aka what the back of a glock looks like- or hidden hammer- which you can not manually cock, and the firing pin is not as exposed. My Ruger LC9-LM is a DAO with hidden hammer. in terms of its safety... i love this gun. thumb lockable, Double action, means a heavier trigger pull (6 lbs and up, IMO). So in real life, it means if the trigger gets caught in something... it takes more force/pressure to make the trigger happen- than a SA. Alot of people dislike the LC9's long trigger pull (which is different than a heavy pull)- but I feel that its long trigger pull makes it even a safer EDC (every day carry) CCW. My LC9 has a loaded chamber indicator. and a VERY noticeable one at that- Some products claim their gun has one- but its VERY hard to see. On the LC9- its a piece of metal that sticks up a couple millimeters. This has its ups and downs. the down is... despite the LC9's ultra smoothed edges... this indicator might be snag worthy- but the fact that it indicates so prominently, that it is loaded... makes the feature completely worth it. It also has a mag release lock (i forget exactly what its called)- but basically- if the mag isn't inserted, then the gun won't fire- regardless- loaded, unloaded, locked or unlocked. (Sometimes, i will have my LC9, with a chambered rd, and unlocked- so its all ready to go, under my pillow, and the mag, i keep on my nightstand. Therefore, the gun will not fire unless mag is inserted.) And lastly, no exposed firing pin - puts extra comfort in my mind.
Then i have a FNX-9, which is too big for CCW but i will just mention its DA/SA & its decocker- its a hammer action. If you don't cock it, it will be DA on the first pull- and its a heavy heavy trigger pull- during which it will cock the hammer and hit the firing pin. After the first shot, the gun goes into SA- which is the lighter trigger pull, now that the hammer is cocked. (When in DA, the trigger is at a more 'forward' position, and once in SA, the trigger is 'less forward'). So- theres several ways to carry the gun with a chambered rd. You can fire it un-cocked, bc its DA- that is- if you can handle a heavy trigger pull (mine is about 10lbs, but i'm very petite girl, & have no problem in it- its really up to the strength of your fingers.... and if you have conditions like arthritis- DA probably isn't a good option in a moment of danger). Or- you can fire it cocked... in SA. And should you cock the hammer.... and decide you do not need to fire- and want to put the hammer back- you can either 1) release mag, rack slide to eject chambered rd- then double and triple check to make sure the chamber is clear- and then dry fire, to release the hammer (if gun needs mag to fire, insert empty mag only)- or... 2) i wouldn't recommend #2, and then 3) just decock. a mechanism will cover the safety pin, allowing the hammer to decock without directly hitting the firing pin.
These are several gun actions- and in knowing what action your gun is in... will also play a variable in how quickly you will warm up to the idea of carry a loaded gun (and ESPECIALLY- on whether you want to carry a chambered rd or not!)
from one MO neighbor to another, congrats on your CCL
My question is, the first time you carried concealed, did you carry loaded, or did you carry unloaded to get a feel for it first? I am wanting to carry unloaded first to get used to it, and try out different holsters, which I have none of yet. 
But at the same time, it seems silly to even ask that. 
to shoot it before that cleaning kit comes in, if you really can't help yourself 
