When my eyes popped open on Wednesday morning, I slipped immediately into total girl mode. On my very first day at the Windham Correctional Facility as dog trainer for the Paws in Stripes program, all I could think of was "what the hell am I going to wear?"

It was while I was trying to figure out what to wear, that I was hit with a wave of panic.
Let's all take a trip back to the absolutely scariest first day of school, or perhaps a grueling job interview. Remember that deep churning pit that used to be a stomach? Your palms that sweat ice? Well then you almost know how I felt Wednesday morning when my brain tried to wrap around the fact that I was going to jail. Instead of the usual Java Jolt, I opted for calming tea, and after much deliberation, I went with black jeans, a shirt that my mother gave me, and sneakers with no makeup.

I arrived promptly at 9:15 for orientation, and filled out a fair amount of paperwork while going over all the do's and don'ts with a staff member. Clothing was discussed and I was told that what I was wearing was "perfect" and that I should never wear jeans with a white or gray shirt, or I will look too much like an inmate. I should not wear any clothes with my dog training business logo and no jewelry. Here is the best part...
Revealing clothing and the showing of cleavage was not recommended.
I looked at her mananged a nervous laugh and gave her my best,
"Well duh"!
I was told to never share personal information, and to be beware of people who may try t

E-mail this entry to a friend