When to carry a stick

When the kids were young, we had just returned from a long trip, going to bed I had just fallen asleep. 

Maureen heard someone outside the house and woke me. 

Not really awake I rolled out a bed and grabbed a short stick I kept near the bed (Short Stick being one of my studies). 

I crept down stairs and quietly turned on the outside light. Finding a raccoon had invaded our trash can. 

I went back upstairs after turning off the light. 

Tossed the stick to my wife and told her, next time you go, you are a black belt after all. 

And I went back to sleep, back to sleep, perchance to dream of raccoons and trash cans.