Remember keep you back to a wall....

At the corner market a guy in shades asked me the time.  Odd.  Finished getting cheese for dinner and heading back home on a busy sunny street.  Spied the guy that asked me the time across the street and stopped to keep an eye on him.  He crossed the street and I turned to face him.  I knew it was coming.  My fists clinched and I was going to hit hard and first as he approached.  The first time in 10+ years that it had come to this.  As he approached my arm started to raise then from behind I was grabbed in a bear hug and another quickly fleeced my pockets.  I got in an elbow to the bear hugger and wiggled free.  They were running in a group.  I started to chase.  A taxi that had seen this screeched to a halt and the driver jumped out and stopped me.  He quickly pointed out it was 3 to 1.  I was running on adrenaline, not thinking, it all happened in under 10 seconds. What was a skinny unarmed guy going to do?  A quick assessment and I was not harmed and out about $15 but still had my groceries.  I have played this through my head so many times.  Who cares about $15?  If they needed that for food I would have given it to them but they left my food.  I should of not fought and risked bleeding myself out for some cash to a group of addicts.  Is it consumerism?  Is it addiction?  Do I want a gun?  Would I have shot them?  Gun? No. Killing someone over $15 is not how I want to spend the rest of my days.  Addiction is tough and opens a whole different set of questions.  Why turn to drugs?  Would I give money to support their addiction?  Not sure but next time it comes to fisticuffs I am keeping my back against a wall to keep the odds fair.