Three years ago, a stupid man pulled a box-cutter (before box-cutters became the weapon of choice!) on me in a roadside rest stop in the middle of the night. No one else was there. In fact, I had not met another vehicle for miles. Unfortunately, I was in no mood to be threatened or robbed. I have just gotten a "Dear John" from my fiance and I was enraged at the world. Seeing this doofus threatening me with his absurd, but possibly lethal, weapon unleashed the rage within me. I attacked him. After leaving him bleeding and unconscious, I headed for my car. Before I got there, I became angry again. I went back in to the restroom, took his knife and everything he had in his pockets...9 dollars and two ball-bearings(?) and left. I am no thief, but the indignity of all that pissed me off, so I gave him what he would have given me.

I did not kill him, though by state law, I would have been justified. I did leave him with no nose and a long time to heal.

Five miles down the road, I stopped and threw up, sickened by the violence, his and mine. It took a while for me to reconcile myself with the violence that I displayed.

Had I not been so distraught before the attempted robbery, I would have reacted differently. But, nonetheless, if pressed hard enough, I would kill to defend myself.

khandu