Thanks for the great seminar. I was happy to get to know a bunch of new people. Thanks for sharing Marc and thanks for organizing things Rob.
This is Mike aka Karsk on the forum (olde guye with shield!).
I have a story to tell about the way home. True story time!
I spent the evening on Sunday at my son's house and took off this morning for a leisurely drive back home. I stopped at Mt. Vernon at my favorite halfway restaurant...the Calico Cupboard..with massive and entirely not primal cinnamon buns. I bought 4 to take home to the family. Later in the day I stopped near Hope, BC at a gas station to refuel, to get more tea and stretch my legs.
I decided I was hungry and what could be better than to snag a bite of those sticky buns? So I opened the back door to my car and opened the box sitting just inside the door. I have a modest folding knife that I carry...nothing extremely sinister. I bought it for white water boating. I was using it to cut chunks of the sweet roll out and then I would grab the chunk and pop it into my mouth. I had just finished a chunk and I heard behind me "Hey buddy, I was just wondering if you could spare me a couple of bucks for some food... I turned around and a homeless guy had cut the distance to me. He was about 4-5 feet away already and was still moving directly for me. I was stuck between the car and the door.
Before I knew it I had turned and in a detached way noticed that my knife had suddenly placed itself in a reverse grip. My hands had come up to near my head and my knife hand had just about initiating a dracula, while my other hand was up protecting myself as well. (nice feedback about that Marc...) I pointed at him and said in a calm. authoritative voice... "NO! Get away from me!" I had popped right back into the seminar and the stuff we had worked on yesterday. I am sure he had incidentally watched my knife flip around in my hand as I brought it to bear.
Without even skipping a stride the guy cut right and rapidly moved out of my range saying, "Geez..take it easy pal"...I watched him go and felt like a mean dog on the end of a chain. Then I turned back and ate another piece of sweet roll. I looked up and he was making tracks and was 50 yards away.
Second thought...." I just scared the crap out of a harmless homeless guy".
As I got into the car and drove off, I started thinking about the whole thing. Some random thoughts. "I am glad he stopped." "Gee, wired a bit tight aren't ya?" I felt mild chagrin. But then I started thinking a bit more... "I missed that guy coming up on me." "I was in a really bad position." "Why in the hell did he walk right up into my space if he wasn't going to try to put some pressure on whoever he thought I was?" He was really close. Too close for normal. By the time I had turned, he was within stick range. One more step and he would have been in fist range. I started to be really happy that I just happened to have my skimpy little pocket knife in my hand at just that moment.
I am absolutely certain he had not counted on that or my reaction or the calm tone of my voice with an edge to it.
I do not know if that really was just a homeless guy that I scared the crap out of or if that guy would have treated me different if I had been an older fellow with no piss and vinegar. You recall my appearance (shorter, bald, grey haired...). From behind I probably look the part of a prey. I am pleased he changed his mind so rapidly
I think he most likely was not a hardened bad guy. I think he may have been a homeless guy not above a little positioning to intimidate an old guy. If that was his intention then he got what he deserved. If not....well it was an education for the both of us.
I just had to relate that story!
Cheers
Karsk
