I'm 6 foot 2 197lbs (as of this morning). But I'm not intimidating looking. I tell you the truth, I'm just not fearfull of confrontation, or consequence. I've got two ribs that float at the sternum area to prove it. Unfortunately, I have a severe lacking in the ability to see the potential end of things, so sometimes, I act with out full realization of the consequence. And I do act in a haze sometimes, un focused, when I think something needs to be done. This clouding disallows me to find alternative methods of finish situations. If the kid had pulled a knife, or taken a swing, or decided to sue, or call the cops, what would have happened? I don't know. But, I didn't care.

I guess the long and short of it is that it's not a matter of bravado or balls.. Just a gut reaction that something should be done because of a feeling. And then running with it. And dealing with the results at they come along. This has not always worked out in my favor. I've got the scars to tell the tales. And I've gotten involed in situations that I had not the right to be in, and defended people who didn't need or merit help. I've done things are are plum stupid.

Ask my wife about my habit of walking out into the freeway with my hand in the air to stop traffic to help someone who is broken down in traffic pull off to the side. She's sure I'm gonna die that way one day.

I body tackled a guy who had blood on him and I though was beating a spouse/girlfriend. Turns out she was trying to take off with his car, and had hit him in the face with a set of keys. Luckily the cops arrived and put a lid on it, and luckily the guy was pretty understanding and didn't want to press charges.

I lived in SF for a time and caught wind of skinheads targeting homeless kids. (Was somewhat homeless myself). So a few of us would bait them, get them into an alley and beat the **** out of them. Skinheads may be idiots, but they aren't stupid. So, the next time we pulled that stunt, they had more of thier shiny headed bretheren available. I became very familiar with steel toed boots. This is where I earned those two loose ribs.

I think (in my limited mind) that many people don't act in situations like this because of several reasons:
1) They are intelligent enough to realize there are dangerous variables that are unacceptable risk wise.
2) The situation is not extreme enough to raise a sense of guile inside to provoke them to action.
3) They don't feel comfortable interfering with the "rights" of others

As I laugh about it now, I think some people look at me as some sort of vigalante or do gooder. Really, I'm just a guy with poor impulse control. Most everyone wants to do the same thing, but they have better levels of common sense. It's easy to judge yourself as a wimp, or as a coward when these things turn out well for the "hero". But, really, if I knew or had a clue that I would get my ribs caved in, or get clocked with a pipe, or cut up again, or spend time talking to Mr. Policeman.. I would not have acted.

But, it's me. And 165 said it best. "Beta man". The test version that all the bugs are worked out on.