As an Eagle Scout alum, I have had "Be Prepared" hammered into my brain so far it's embedded in my nerve stem.
What's the old fortune cookie joke, Fail to Plan is a Plan to Fail? I carry because we exist in a state of change and chaos, and that crowd of guys you walked by last night on the way home may not feel so benevolent tonight. Your neighbor's loco dog might decide today is the day he *really* wants to come over the fence. Yesterday was peachy, but today could be the day where it all goes out the window. To me, one of the worst mindsets in the world is the "it can't happen to me" frame: "Well, I won't get mugged tonight, so I don't have to carry..." Uh-huh. You clear that notion with the criminal element? I doubt it. It is impossible to eliminate personal threat in your every-day life...but it's possible to lessen it. So I carry, with 2 extra mags. I also carry a small first-aid kit with me, and if I had to choose which I would rather use, the med kit wins every time.
As much as I want to avoid conflict, I am fully aware that some day, someone out there may not let me. Someday, I might face a direct threat to my life or (more importantly, to me), a direct threat to the life of someone I love. And if that happens, I will not be standing there wishing I had my sidearm. I have buried enough people that I cared about, seen enough of what happens when evil and tyranny is permitted to exist. So I carry every day, praying I never have to draw down, but fully prepared to do so if the situation requires it.
"Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander."
Go well.