Do you lock your doors?

Not only do I lock my doors, but I also have a security system on all my doors and windows.

But as Boomers we didn't live like that as kids. In my neighborhood, the doors were always unlocked (even at night), and everyone felt safe.  But were we?

I haven't figured out whether crime has actually escalated or whether the media has just made us more aware of it.  Were there serial killers in 1960? Of course there were, but perhaps not as many.

I believe the media has contributed to not only the awareness of crime but also to its escalation. People with tendencies to kill have fed off media coverage of others who have done so. They go forward because they want their 15 minutes.

In regard to petty crime, like home invasion for theft, I don't think it's the media. I think it's a recent disregard for respect of property.  And no, it's not the economy. We've had bad economies before.

So no, I don't have a solution. I just keep my doors locked and my alarm system on and hope that nothing bad will happen. And if it does, I have a three-pound Yorkie who will surely protect me.

Bad Medicine

My wonderful Aunt Tora (Victoria), who lived to be 85, didn't have much use for doctors or medicine. She followed the philosophy of Christian Science and reminded me often that 50 percent of all doctors graduated in the lower 50 percent of their class. But she also chain smoked from the age of 16 until her death at 85. She said that the best doctoring was the least doctoring. Not sure I agree.

But Tora had a point. There's such a thing as too much "doctoring" and definitely too much medicine. Have you seen the ads on tv for prescription drugs? They sound great until they get to the required disclaimer warnings about side effects. Lordy, it's almost funny. "Yes, it will take care of your foot fungus, but may cause asthma, bursitis, and yes, in rare cases, cancer."  This is of course an exaggeration, but it's not far from the truth. Why would anyone take a chance on the trade-off?

I go to see my doctor once a year and take as few drugs as I can get by with. I think it's a conflict of interest that doctors get paid by drug companies to recommend certain drugs to patients. I think far too many people are sick because of drug side effects and combinations.

Get the mammogram and the colonoscopy, but otherwise I say stay as far away from doctors and  x-ray machines in any form as humanly possible. Doctors and hospitals will make you sick. Just my opinion.