I think most of us like to believe we have uncommon intelligence; I’m no exception to that.

At some point under the age of four, I was run over by a car (I have a shoulder and part of my jaw that don’t always work correctly as a result).

As a younger man, I was prone to take care to not do myself bodily injury of sorts that others take for granted are parts of living. I may’ve broken a toe in my earlier days. It’s a sure thing I managed to dislocate a bone in my wrist (which I set back in place) when I was hit by a car whilst riding my bicycle around sixteen years of age in Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.

I can think of a few more injuries obtained as a result of foolish activities or accidents, but overall, I mostly survive with more than half a century under my belt, and nothing greatly more serious than I’ve indicated to this point to show for it.

Maybe you can count that luck. I like to think some of it was due to my level of understanding.

Even so, there’re times when it’s difficult to do various things. I periodically must work to stand up. Sometimes doing something like, getting off the floor when I’ve gotten down to do something, proves harder than I’d like.

All told though, I’m in pretty good shape considering my age. Much to their chagrin, more than a few of the folks I know who’re my equally old or older, have dealt with various—more serious—things.

More often than not, it’s just pure aging, and the body breaking down as that happens.

But some are suffering the ravages of carefree youth.

What do I mean by that?

Many that I know, were active as young people; willing to do things they really shouldn’t have done.

The result is spills, accidents, miscalculations and other situations and circumstances that resulted in a damaged this-or-that.

For some, the misfortune was a result of going to work and doing something, or having something happen, that resulted in various physical injuries.

But the point is, pretty much all of what I’ve discussed up to now, was accidental or incidental to living life.

Some I’ve known were scrappers—they went about challenging and being challenged. Many of those contests, they willingly entered.

Some of the outcomes from those battles are not pretty.

Truthfully though, even my seven-year-old has been limping around for days with a sore ankle. That’s how fragile we humans are.

It’s been a thing for some time now, for folks to riot and generally create mayhem, and it can hardly be argued that the results of many confrontations by these individuals end even as well as the things I’ve described above.

I heard a story about a man chasing down another, handgun in hand, and being shot in the arm when the pursued person responded with violence in turn.

Even if they’re able to repair much of the damage (which I understand to be doubtful at best), that man’s life will never be the same.

This is one of the problems with riots and other similar activities; people get hurt or killed.

When you’re young, there’s a tendency to believe you’re indestructible. Allow me to be among those making this clear. You’re not.

More importantly, neither are those with whom you tangle. You likely can and will harm or kill them in the course of riotous activity, assuming the converse doesn’t happen.

“At least it’s them, not me!” you may say. Let me just make it plain to you that in the quiet moments of your life yet to come, you words and actions will come back to haunt you.

You may well find yourself jolting into wakefulness with memories of foes vanquished coming into your head and invading any semblance of peace you’ve managed to gain since.

Not only can you damage or kill yourself or others in violence outwardly, but the inward results may never go away.

Even if you don’t believe in any power greater than mankind (a serious mistake in my view), there are potentially still psychological, mental and emotional harms you can do yourself by acting badly.

The best part? You may not even realize you’re battling the resultant demons. You may go on for many years, failing, falling, acting unequally to circumstances and situations and so much more as a result of the trauma you’ve helped to inflict upon yourself.

Likewise, those against whom your actions and words were directed, may suffer similar outcomes.

Even if you decide the world needs “fixed,” in some way, if the thing you choose to do in order to effect the desired changes involves violence, count on creating as many issues as you rectify—if not more.

In these days, even more than in the days in which I was a lad, instant gratification is almost ubiquitous. I used to periodically say something (that may’ve come from elsewhere, I honestly don’t recall). It was “I demand patience, and I want it right now!” The problem is, good things often take time.

I don’t know if I so much hold to the old adage, “Good things come to those who wait.” That said, I do believe good things come to those willing to take time and work for them. We don’t always get that for which we aim, but there’s a much better chance that’ll happen if we’re willing to abide in patience.

Rashness is rarely ever beneficial and when it is, it’s typically accidental.

Much of the time, violence is the outpouring of rashness; and again, the results are typically not desirable—particularly not looking forward from its occurrence.

Perhaps you think you’ll change the world through rash, violent action. The truth is, you can’t help but change some part of it. That doesn’t mean the alterations will be for the better. When you maim and kill as a result of trying to bring about some difference or other though, you can count on being viewed badly by others, making it likely they’ll revile your ends as much as or more than your person. Chances are you’ll be on the planet for a good many years to come. Do you really want to live with the results of sowing discord and chaos through violence? I hope not.

Thanks for reading, and may your time be good.