My latest online purchase......

I ordered two -- due to arrive early next week. I don't know exactly how I feel about this though. Part of me feels silly, and part of me feels like it's the right thing to do. But, by taking these precautions I'm admitting that where I'm living isn't as safe as it used to be -- or as I used to think it was.

The worse of the changes haven't touched my actual neighborhood. It's just that they are all around -- getting closer and closer as time goes by. In the last month I've heard a local business owner talking about stopping at a stop sign (during broad daylight) on a residential street near here and seeing two guys pull hoods over their heads and walk toward his truck. He said that he has a gun but keeps it at home, but after that he'll never be caught in a similar situation without protection. And another neighbor said that as he reads of the murders and home invasions moving closer and closer, he's going to buy himself a gun.

I want to be safe, but I don't want to get caught up in all the emotional stuff and react foolishly -- in ways in which an innocent person could get hurt as easy as a bad guy. I try not to (over)listen to the news, but you need to be informed about what's going on around you. I guess it boils down to the fact that I can't imagine anything bad actually happening in my very own home. But, still, I ordered the silly safety bar-thingies, and I'll use them. So there.