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I was never anti gun, but I grew up in a family where guns were not even a topic. I did have a BB gun as a kid, but that was all of my experience around guns until I was an adult. Over the years I have gone shooting with people. Some pistols, shotguns and a few rifles. It was fun, but I always could rationalize other things to spend money on.

Over the last two years, I did buy a Glock to go and shoot with some friends, but I never intended on carrying it. I have always been situationally aware having studied multiple martial arts, and I had convinced myself I could protect my family with what I knew. Then 2009 happened. I live in a very nice suburb of Houston, and you don't hear much about crime. This further helped me live in the fantasy that where I live crime does not happen. People are friendly and nobody will come into my area. Here are the events that solidified me to get my CHL:

1 - In November 2008 there was a home invasion 7 blocks from my home where an elderly mother and daughter were both murdered.

2 - In January 2009, every car that was left in a driveway on my street was broken into, including my own.

3 - Two weeks later I am driving to the ATM at my local bank on a Saturday. It is 6 AM and I am going to get my daughter money for a school event that started just a few minutes later. As I pull up the the ATM, I see a guy in a hoodie. He starts to run towards me trying to get something out of his pocket. I back up and get out of his way. He ran past me still with his hand in his pocket. After he is gon I notice the ATM was half open with a pole on the ground. I call the police and they find the guy 2 blocks away within 20 minutes. He had a loaded pistol in his pocket. REALITY!!!!! I buy my first shotgun that week.

4 - In February my mother in law's house (4 miles away) is burglarized. They pulled a truck up to her house and filled it up, left and then came back to fill up a second load 20 minutes later. We know this because her neighbors have a camera system. They finally catch the guy, a young man that knew she was at a local resident's funeral.

5 - About 2 month later in April while sitting in church, I get a call from the alarm company that my alarm is going off. I get home, and the police noticed someone had tried to get into my front door. My dogs went crazy and they set the glass break sensors off. REALITY AGAIN - My wife and I both decide to get our CHL's!

Now that we are very aware we are noticing things regularly. Our neighborhood has a lot more crime than anyone hears about. The developer does a great job keeping things quiet to keep our home values up. Here are my lessons learned:

1 -The police are not here to protect me. It is my responsibility to protect myself and my family.
2 - Keep vigilant, watch everyone. Just yesterday two men came up to us on bikes. I ushered my wife away after I noticed they both had empty backpacks, hammers and vice grips attached to their bikes. This may have been innocent, but safety first.
3 - Keep all of your doors locked all the time.
4 - Get your CHL. Having a gun on you reminds you to keep your head up and eyes open at all time.
5 - Become the nosey neighbor. This is how you hear about all that happens where you live.
6 - Most importantly, the suburbs are where the criminals go to for their jobs. They go to places where there is a false sense of security, many flat screen TV's and unlocked doors.