Carry everyday and all the time. It was a hard important lesson for me.
A few months ago, I had left my firearm on my computer desk at home when I left to grab something to eat. Without going into too much detail, I was ambushed at an intersection and 2 individuals tried to rob me / car jack me.
My driver side door flung open and a knife went straight to my face. I barely caught the knife in time and turned to fend off the attacker. During the attack, I reached for my concealed carry only to realize the fail of reaching for an empty crossbreed holster. It was a good thing I had my EDC knife because without it, I believe I would be dead. I reached for my knife and fought off the attacker.
Once we were both out of the vehicle, I immediately yelled that I was an off duty officer and that I would be calling for backup. Biggest bluff of my life and it worked. Returning to my vehicle to drive away to a safe location and to call 911, I noticed that my keys were missing. I also noticed I was sitting in a pool of blood. That's when I realized that the whole time I was fighting off 1 attacker, the other had come through the passenger side, taken my keys and stabbed me twice. Once on my right side between my 7th and 8th rib, piercing my liver and one on my upper back 2 inches to the right of my spine above my shoulder blades. Honestly, if it werent' for all the blood pouring out, I wouldn't even have known I had been stabbed. I felt absolutely no pain felt like I was in my "best game" physically. I didn't suffer any of the effects of being stabbed until I ended up in the emergency room almost 40 minutes later, when blood was starting to fill up my diaphram.
Folks, always carry and always be aware of your surroundings. Also, make sure your car doors are locked. If you let someone in or accidentally unlock them, lock them again. My knife saved my life that day. I spent a week in the hospital and now have a pile of medical bills to pay for my lapse in awareness and not carrying my firearm.
Sad part is the attacker with the knife didn't even touch me. It took another individual to sneak up behind me and I was extremely lucky I wasn't stabbed in the neck or in the spine. To this day, the perpetrators have not been caught and most likely never will. The fact that they were so bold to attack me in broad daylight in public with the intent to injure or kill makes it highly likely they were addicts severely needing their next fix. They didn't give time to "comply" or didn't ask for the wallet. It was simply a knife to the face and then take whatever you can and leave type of scenario. Let this be a lesson. Addicts are a different breed of criminals with no regard for human life. They live and will kill for their next fix.
Let this pic be a lesson of what may happen to you or to a loved one if you aren't situationally aware and aren't prepared to defend your life.
