Wow. That's really scary.
Several years ago a friend of mine was stabbed walking back to his apartment with a pizza from a restaurant about a block from his house. His brother had a broken leg and my friend was picking up the pizza for the two of them to eat for dinner, and this group of kids came up to him and asked if they could have some. He said no, it was for his brother, and one of the kids took out a boxcutter and slashed him in the face.
The doctors did an incredible job and you could barely see any scars, but he was (understandably) really messed up after that. He didn't feel safe in his own neighborhood (they eventually sold the house and moved) and didn't trust people anymore. I remember being really freaked out at the time (and still am, just thinking about it now) about how a completely random moment of violence like that can turn into something that stays with the people involved for a long, long time.
Anyway. Sorry to hear about what happened to you. Glad your girlfriend was able to offer support, and that no one got hurt.
EDIT: Just recalled another incident - I was driving home from work last year and a guy pulled up next to me at a stop sign and started screaming at me through the window that I was a bitch, cunt, etc. I have no idea what I may have done to him while we were driving that he thought was worth shouting at me over but it was very scary. I locked the car doors and just sat there at the stop sign until he drove away. (Thankfully no one behind me honked!) I was afraid if I drove at the same time he did (it was a two lane street), that he would hit my car with his. Another of those really weird, random events, but it had me freaked out for several days just replaying it in my head. People suck.
