Intentionally DON'T ccw.

I would add my voice to those already posting; you are way ahead of the game to recognize the issue and try to deal with it in a mature, responsible way, and until you get a greater comfort level with things, I think not carrying makes great sense.

I think Rainbow Bob nailed it:

The fact that you recognize your tendency to escalate conflict and choose NOT to carry as a response shows remarkable insight and maturity.

Perhaps you should consider finding some form of training (e.g., martial arts?) that would teach you how to de-escalate conflict.

You seem to have enough personal insight to know when you will be ready to resume CCW

Lexapro....

:d thats a good one!

While your decision not to carry in recognizing that you may use an unwarranted (deadly) level of force is a mature, I don't believe your attitude is a dangerous one. If you had been thinking about drawing on them while driving down the road, you would be a danger. But to think to yourself "these guys are gonna regret following me all the way to my destination and starting a conflict there" is similar to my own mind set. While I can't remember the last time I gave someone the bird in traffic, I have had to deal with road rage like anyone else, and am definitely glad I carry in case the other guy is a hot head with a weapon who just can't let it go.

It's been awhile though, since I quit driving my Intrepid. Sometimes the right vehicle is all it takes for potential ragers to think "maybe I should leave this guy alone".

I refuse to give up my First Amendment Right to express my opinion when exercising my Second Amendment Rights.

Sounds to me like more reason to carry as they started following you, and you need to be ready should they continue to escalate.

So guess I am the minority view, but unless you were thinking of pulling your piece to "scare 'em" or some other stupidity where you would clearly be in the wrong, I'm damn glad I am carrying in these situations.

I drive on the freeway way too much and too often am involved in these things where only my driving skill prevents a wreck and the pinhead gets PO'd at me for hitting the horn as I hit the brakes and starts rage'ng at me. Having the CCW gives me great comfort in these situations which put me at high alert the rest of the day.

--wally.

I do have a temper, but I have never, and never will, draw a weapon in anger.

I think it's a wise person who knows himself objectively enough to make that kind of a decision. Knowing that one's temper might flare up to the point of making a very bad decision to use deadly force inappropriately is one case. Another might be the person who has doubts about his ability to actually use the deadly force when it *is* justified. In that case, his hesitation could lead to the gun being used against himself.

If you know that your anger has caused problems in your personal or work life, or caused a foolish escalation of minor incidents, there are resources for learning how to deal with anger. Anger is a natural emotion we all feel--it's letting the anger make us do things that are, ultimately, unproductive or harmful to us and our relationships with others.

Good luck. You'll know when you've got better control to safely carry.

K

I give you props, if you can recognize that, you're really older than your 25yrs. Hopefully you'll feel comfortable in the future carrying again, ya never know when ya might need it.

Certain emotions such as rage, jealousy, pride (not pride in your self but being too prideful) are wasted emotions that lead to stress and cause problems.

I refuse to give up my First Amendment Right to express my opinion when exercising my Second Amendment Rights.

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Like any right, it is up to us to exercise them responsibly.

Like, going into a biker bar and making remarks at the patrons calling into question their heterosexuality. I guess I have a first amendment right to express that opinion, but that doesn't mean it's an intelligent thing to do.

My temper normally has a very long fuse

I used to run a furniture store-sales, collections, repossessions.

If I could collect the money owed me, I could retire even if I invested in CD's. And could have retired in 1991 at the age of 36.

What got to me was the people who smirked at me and told me they were planning on screwing me over when they bought $2000 worth of merchandise.

Had several incidents where I either escalated the tension or allowed it to unfold as it would. Guy I was repossessing said he was going to go get his gun. I calmly told him to go get and that I would be waiting right here in his living room. He never came back.

I realized that I was basically getting crazy over the situation. That I was going to wind up dead or in prison. So I quit the furniture business and returned to college to change careers. And I quit carrying for over ten years.

In 1998, I began to carry again. No problems, no confrontations. My fuse is back to its normal length. Before, I was to the point that I needed to be in a society that condoned duels.

An honest look into yourself is necessary when making the decision to carry and that look needs to be done on a daily basis. You need to ask yourself whether you are fit to follow your moral code and the law. I wasn't for quite some time. I didn't carry through the majority of that time period. But only sheer luck got me through the worst times without getting into bad trouble.

I refuse to give up my First Amendment Right to express my opinion when exercising my Second Amendment Rights.

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If you refuse to control your mouth then you'd best avoid places where discretion is the better part of valor. Otherwise you will definitely someday find yourself in a position which is both tactically and strategically poor.

I made a comment under my breath one day admiring the beauty of a waitress in a Mexican restaurant. My buddy, who is fluent in Spanish, heard my comment. His reply was,"Byron, I don't know how many Mexicans it would take to whip your butt but I know how many they'd use." So I made the choice to exercise my First Amendment right in the privacy of my own mind in certain settings.

A little off subject

Here is a little trick we use to handle idiots on the roads. And we tour the USA in our motor home 4 or 5 months of the year.

Always let people pass you. In fact, pull over and stop if you have to, just to get them in front of you. They can't hit you if they're in front. Plus, they'll soon see another car and speed up so they can pass him too. And the more cars they pass the safer you get.

And relax. People as a rule really don't drive very well. It's a given.

Don't get mad or frustrated when someone does something stupid. You know that 85% of drivers are going to cut you off or some other such stupid thing, so don't be so surprised when they do what you already knew they're going to do. Just let it go and enjoy the ride.

Oh, and be careful going over the next hill as that same driver may be upside down in the road. Think I'm kidding huh? We had that happen going thru Memphis 2 years ago. He flew by us in a heavy rain and 5 miles up the road, there he was.

i think, for now, you are doing the right thing. but you also need to get help in the form of anger management classes / counseling. i too WAS that way, until my mid FOURTIES. get the help you need now, and you will be able to carry again much sooner. plus, you wont have to deal with your rage on a daily basis. which will make you a much better person. my first born arrived when i was 43 years old. that has mellowed me out more than anything. but every once in a while (once a year or so) that rage surfaces again. also, one of the ways i dealt with my rage (until i screwed my back all up) was to take an axe and chop down an 8-12 " tree. it works! it is amazing how much tension you can relieve by killing something inanimate with your bare hands. good luck, you are going to need it!

I was on zoloft for a while and it definitely helped some, but there were a lot of side effects.

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This statement is also an indication of remarkable insight. You must have sought professional help at some point in order to get the zoloft. It helped but you did not like the side-effects (understandably).

Have you considered asking your doctor for something else with less side-effects? My daughter has a problem with depression and anxiety and hated zoloft. But Wellbutrin works great for her with little or no side-effects.

I have found that carrying has a very good impact on self-control, and so many other people have spontaneously reported the same thing that I am inclined to say that carrying tends to make one more calm and gentlemanly.

I can have a temper problem as well, but I've found that when Im carrying a gun, the thought of using it in anger never crosses my mind. I've found that I may be mad enough to punch a hole through the wall or something, but would never consider grabbing my gun.

A little off subject
Here is a little trick we use to handle idiots on the roads. And we tour the USA in our motor home 4 or 5 months of the year.

Always let people pass you. In fact, pull over and stop if you have to, just to get them in front of you. They can't hit you if they're in front. Plus, they'll soon see another car and speed up so they can pass him too. And the more cars they pass the safer you get.

And relax. People as a rule really don't drive very well. It's a given.

Don't get mad or frustrated when someone does something stupid. You know that 85% of drivers are going to cut you off or some other such stupid thing, so don't be so surprised when they do what you already knew they're going to do. Just let it go and enjoy the ride.

Oh, and be careful going over the next hill as that same driver may be upside down in the road. Think I'm kidding huh? We had that happen going thru Memphis 2 years ago. He flew by us in a heavy rain and 5 miles up the road, there he was.
_

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A little Off Subject? A driver cannot go wrong following your Rules Of the Road. Very well stated.

No, not for my temper. I've found that I'm far less likely to be confrontational when I'm carrying.

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Same here. I seem to have a very short fuse. But I also have found that carrying seems to have a calming effect on me. And retirement hasn't hurt either.
Or maybe it's just the Amitriptyline.