Hello from Massachusetts!
My wife and I are in our fifties, and have never owned fire-arms. A developing situation with an old acquaintance has led us to conclude that having the means to defend ourselves might be very prudent. And no, nothing has happened that would justify getting law enforcement involved; we are very much in an-ounce-of-prevention-is-worth-a-pound-of-cure territory.
Neither of us has much experience with firearms; we both grew up in anti-gun households. I'm not sure where to start with the process of becoming familiarized with firearms and getting trained on how to use them properly, safely and prudently. I do expect that this process will take some significant time, and I want to use our time wisely.
What suggestions would you have for people wanting to embark on this journey?