Mike, that is perfectly understandable in that situation imo. I too have an "ON" button (but I don't have the physical presence to inflict the same level of damage you can
), but it's never resulted in a fight since hs. Last time was 20 years ago...Mardi Gras and some punk started to mess with a friend of mine (my buddy is stronger than I and pretty hot tempered) but he was sitting on a curb (less than 18 months after a 17 hour back surgery). My other friends "tell me" that I was in the punk's face, quick as lightening, "fired up" in an "adrenaline rage" with a "WTF are you doing..." punk declined to escalate it, but I was ready. I'm not a puss, but stupidity is the leading cause of premature death imo, and as Clint was fond of saying "dying ain't much of a living".
ps: The last fight I was in, "we won" (30 years ago). 4 of us pulled up to a gas pump in our neighborhood when a pickup truck full of 10-12 guys "looking for blood" over an earlier incident (not involving us) came "hunting". After sorting everything out at the police station at 3 am, the "other" ringleader was trying to pat one buddy on the back for "kicking his a$$" for the first time (other dude was 230+, my buddy was 165 but could bench close to 400). Although we "won", it wasn't much consolation to another friend who had his jaw wired shut (drinking from a straw) for six months...doc said the x-rays indicated brass knuckles. It wasn't "fair" at all, as they all had weapons...but it was survival mode for us.