Too close for comfort

[Monkeyleg]

Andrew: "I had the exact same thing happen to me in highschool. A kid I barely knew came up to me in the cafeteria and pushed my shoulder and demanded to know "why I was talking s--- about him".

You must have gone to a very polite school. I had guys I'd never met just come up and punch me in the face, and then I'd punch back, etc, etc. Happened at least once a week for all four years.

 

[geeman]

Not tough guy and not a dove

You did the right thing. You did what I would have done. Once I did pull (never point until ready to fire) my pistol when a guy rushed me and boy did he back up...
As Ted Nugent put it in his book, God, Guns and Rock 'n' Roll, (not a verbatim quote): A gunman must be above petty conflict.
Conflict avoidance is my rule. Forget pride, that's the correct application of Jesus' "turn the other cheek". However, when the level of conflict rises from intimidataion and given the 'totality of the circumstances' with two guys backing up the offender, you must fight. Jesus cleared the temple with a weapon. The line to go ballistic is thin, but you must not cross it until the time is right. Once you cross that line, training and skill take over and it's always a bad outcome, but atleast you will still be alive.
Garry