GOING UNDERCOVER - PART 1

So who is "Glenna Fairbanks" and why is she going undercover? Good questions for inquiring minds, especially if they are into mysteries. A mild-mannered girl (shy as a child, masquerading as bossy) from a small New England town is hardly someone you'd expect to find in the middle of an evolution - revolution of sorts, back in the 1960s & 70s, challenging an American system that expected women to be "girls." Back then, all females were "girls", no matter what their age or profession and there were lots of professions where girls definitely didn't belong. In truth, they belonged, but they were not welcome.

In fact, there were about only two professions where women were wanted, and even there they were still called "girls", although not always for the same reason. The first group were the girlfriends, wives and mothers. Lots of promotions in that group, but not much income, financial security or independence.

Promotions were few and far between for the girls in the second group - unless you want to call battered and dead promotions. There were (and still are) different names for the "girls" in the second group, mistresses, prostitutes, whores, etc., but "girls" is still the generic name they're given, regardless of their age. Later on in my life I got to know quite a few of them. I never thought of them as girls.

But first I had to break out of a lot of shells and expectations (my parents' daughter, the granddaughter of another generation, somebody else's something). There was a long list and everyone had expectations - of me. Then I had to figure out who and what I wanted for myself (a much more complicated task). And then came challenging the different systems within what the general public thinks of as "The Criminal Justice System." That was this writer's first exposure to reality. Just moving beyond the cloistered environment of home and public school in a town of less than 5,000 people, many of whom fought change and progress tooth and nail, would have been terrifying if I'd really known what I was doing - where I was going or how I was going to get there.

But I was young, naive, determined to have a life that was my life, and to break away from all those who seemed to be telling me in so many ways that I could not do, or could not be, could not think, or become the person I wanted to be.

So I got married. And then I got pregnant. And then I got out (husband and child in tow). Well, let's face it. Some things are a mystery and some things are just common sense.