Turning the other cheek

Sometimes small town woes get to you.

Some local thug has decided to get on my case when I go out. At first it was just funny, because it came from nowhere, I didn't really think much of it since last weekend.

This might be a long story...
I'm not a Christian anymore. People think that atheist/agnostics can't have values. I do. I certainly know a lot of Christians who wouldn't be quite so calm in this situation.

My main question, is it wrong to feel moral superiority because I'm doing the right thing. Everytime I feel proud of myself, I feel like I'm being a self-fellating wanker about it.

It started when the local night club installed poles for dancing and my subsequent ejection (mentioned previously in passing). After being kicked out, I yelled to those on the club balcony, that if they were kicked out under similar circumstances, it would be my shout down at pie alley (I did end up shouting one girl, who didn't even know of my announcement). Anyway, tough thug comes over and tells me to shut up and stop giving his friends up their shit. Wait, a second, offering to buy food to strangers is giving them shit. I think the pie alley bakery might take offence to that. Anyway, my apology, which I shouted to those on the roof again, was taken well, something about being a smartass. And ends up with me being punched in the face. Fair cop, I was being a smart ass, and given that about five of mates had just come over and were looking for any excuse to beat the shit out of this moron, I tried to do the right thing, said he wasn't worth it and I don't need this shit, and move on to getting some pies and going home.

Next weekend, I didn't go out, Big Day Out on Gold Coast. Next weekend, Australia Day, and some guy I don't know starts asking me if I'm going to be starting him up again tonight. I don't have a high attention span. Who are you? Oh. Now it's coming back, I said I was sorry that night, you started me, I'll see you. He starts to look like he's going to grab my shirt again and then he decides instead to run off. Oh, my friend has come back from the bar. He wants to go bash him. I say no. That's a bit silly.

Now, I haven't been out again since Australia day, so its now over a month, since the first incident. I'm out on the dance floor and some guy is beckoning me over. I'm a bit worried, because my friends thought it would be funny to start a rumour I was gay (not that there is anything wrong with that), and I really don't need guys hitting on me, it's just embarrassing to all involved. And anyway, he comes up and says "Hey, what's the deal tonight?". Again "Who are you? Oh... umm ... see ya?" and I go back to dancing. I ask my friends if they have my back and they assure me they do. And so nothing much happens. He beckons me over again and I don't go over. But he keeps at it, I see he's talking with a girl I vaguely know, so I go over quickly say hi to her, and tell him, "Sorry. I'm not starting anything tonight. I'll see you later", and he still burrs up about it. I just smile and go back to the dancefloor. And he follows me. I come of the dancefloor and he burrs up again, and unsuprisingly, while I'm trying to say "Get off my case. I don't know you. I don't want any trouble". He punches me with another funny haymaker... ummm.. friends? It wasn't much of a punch, and I'm still standing, so he comes for another one, with his other fist, which is enough to make me drop my beer onto the ground and take a couple of steps back. Okay, so where I my friends? Actually stuff that, where are the bouncers? I smile back at him, and he has some poor wanker doing the "pretend to be my friend, but really holding me back" thing. But I don't need to be held back, I walk up to the bar, tell them there's a smashed bottle and go back to dancing, feeling happy that i've done the right thing. When I find my friends again I ask them where they were and now he just wants to belt the shit out the guy, but he's gone back upstairs to the balcony area.

At the end of the night when we leave, I know the DJ (trust me, that's not bragging) and get him to get the bouncers to bring him out. He looks a bit shit scared. My friends laugh and say I could take him (my friend's girlfriend laughs and says she could take him). I try to resolve it and get him to shake my hand and tell him to get over it. And we go home.

Is it wrong to feel good about taking the higher road? Does that undo it.
None of my friends get it. They think it's a bit weak and he's just going to target me again.
Next time should I get a big Maori friend to break his arms?
What is the correct path to take with losers like this?
This is his second assault on me, should I just take it to the cops?

I really don't need this bullshit.

*fight*small town woes*sick sad world*cheek*turn*dance*club*irl*high road*crime*happy*