Attempted Robbery Leads to Self-Discovery

I was assaulted at a gas station by two men who told me they were going to take my wallet. One of them said he had a gun and was going to shoot me if I didn't give it to them. That he would have a gun just didn't feel believable. Little did I know that there had been a homicide by gun at this very location not too long ago. I found that out afterwards.

Well, when I didn't capitulate and hand over my wallet, they moved in and one of them grabbed my journal and that's when I started fighting back. That journal is my work, and it was definitely not the thing to try and take from me. Of course, this is when the assailant behind me threw me to the ground while the other started grabbing all over me to try and grab all of my stuff, my wallet being the prime target.

After a few moments of struggle, a punch to the face, I started yelling as loud as I can, which, I might add is quite piercing. Obviously, these two had not expected me to fight back and potentially attract people with my yells for help. They took off, I brushed myself off, picked up my journal, got in my car, and drove right out of there. I did not want to stay in the danger zone!

Thankfully, the people I was on my way to see knew what to do once I arrived and calmed down a bit. I must admit to not wanting to react in any emotional way at first. It is something quite difficult for me to place that burden onto others.

Once I managed to make my way back home, some of the emotions started to surface but I quickly managed them and started figuring out what I could learn from this experience.

This has increased my appreciation for how wonderful the world really is and how quickly life can change. It is so important to not take life for granted. No matter how bad things are, they can always get worse quickly. I now realize that I need to do anything and everything I can to improve my life and those lives around me everyday.

Also, I learned that my inner strength can be focused outwardly as a defensive weapon quite successfully against harm. I did leave the assault with everything I had with me at the time. I did leave without being shot, stabbed, or worse. It only appears that I will have one severe black eye. However, I did manage to defend myself and escape from the situation to a place of safety. I am so fortunate, and I can actually take some credit for it.

Sometimes, it really takes a traumatic event to shock one into living again. I think that's what has been made so apparent with regards to this experience. It is rather something of a wakeup call. There is no time to waste. Living life and inspiring life is what is at my very core. To be given the opportunity to become reacquainted and reforged with that core is truly a gift.

And you can Quote me on that. The Quotable Queer