Knowing ones limits???

I've posted before I think about as a child my home was targeted by a gang of blokes seeking revenge for a betrayed friend who was in prison. There aim was to reak terror on the family and home of the accused, accept they targeted the wrong home, right street just wrong home, this went on for a yr, police said they were powerless because the death threats we recieved weren't in our name, the bricks coming through the windows happened late at night..so today I am coming out of a shop and see a woman chasing some black kid who has I think grabbed her grocery shopping. I wasn't sure at first what was happening as I made my way back to my car. The black kid run in front of me then stared right in to my face, and I wondered why? as I didnt realise at this point what exactl was going on, then I heard the woman shout someone stop him and I looked behind me and see her trying to run...and I realised that the black kid in front must be the culprit...I got to my car and drove slowly and came face to face with the kid and he stared at me again, I guess he was expecting me to chase or stop him...and the woman was trailing behind shouting, why dont you just drop it??...in a split second I thought what do I do? do I get involved? then do I live with the fear that will set in in a couple of days time of my name and address being used if police are involved? and what about xmas and my kids? if I'm a nutcase with paranoia over this what happens to them?

I drove home and did nothing. I'm not sure if I should feel really bad about doing nothing, but insidde my head lots of stuff was going on, I was reasuring myself that when something important personally in my life happens I step up to the plate. I sat with my dog when she died becasue I didn't want her to die alone, I've always supported my kids, and will never walk away from helping them, but this? I couldn't take it on board, if the lady was being physically attacked I would have driven my car at him, would have honked my hooter to gain attention, would have done something, but over a shopping bag??? I'm sorry I couldnt risk my mental health, I hope the lady got it sorted, but I can't prevent lifes unpleasentrys, I am not god. I feel kinda of numb at this time, I feel I did what I had to do for me, and for my family, in my family I will be their hero, but I cant be the worlds hero, suffering isn't nice, but alas its part of this life we seem to live.

It sounds too like it was a bit confusing and took awhile to figure out what was going on and make the connections. No, we can't take on the world's problems, only the ones that clearly seem to be "ours". I think too, if you'd been there where-ever the lady was when the kid took her bag you might have done something too if you could but getting to the problem in the middle of the story, I think I would have done the same thing; I might have wished I could have done something but I probably would not have jumped in either.

I would be grateful for the "problem" of what to do and whether I should/should not do something because of the opportunity it has given you to think about what is important to you and to remember the rough time you had has a kid with the assault on your family and house and how that has got you thinking? Sounds like you have learned a bit more about yourself and where you're coming from, want, and need?

Perna, Thank you for your well thought out reply...yes being suddenly in the middle of the drama was confusing...I felt like I was turning from him to her going, but,but,but,what,what,what...I feel my only tool would have been to ask the woman if she were ok if it had happened right in front of me...but the guy was on the move and the woman was on the move at this point..I think in the past when I was more out-of-my-mind I would have panicked...today amid the chaos I remained calm and thought out how this may effect me...I remember when my dog was attacked by a pit bull I didn't think and just dived in and wrestled the dog of my dog...I guess because as you say that was "mine"...this wasn't..and today that was very obvious to me and I knew my family are mine...being a have-a-go-hero it seems isn't part of my make-up...maybe once upon a time when I dreamt I was a hero...now I am more aware of my shortfalls and my fears and I have to protect myself...what if I had been in that womans position??? I don't know...when my dog was attacked a woman came up to be after the event and asked if I was alright...she said she had seen it happening but didn't know what to do and remembered how her dog being attacked once had made her feel...I didnt hate her for not helping..infact I felt pleased she had stopped to ask me and understood that we are humanbeings doing the best we can....