Leading a double life?

"I wasn't a double agent, but I did spend much of my time wondering what would happen if different people in my life were to meet one another."

By Marilyn C. Jones

In The 1950s, a popular television program charted the complicated twists and turns of the "three lives" of a government spy. This character was a double agent who constantly had to look over his shoulder, check and recheck his alibis, and live in fear of being exposed by one or more of his contacts.

While such exploits seem exciting on TV, in reality who would want such an existence? The characters rarely have a moment of peace, seldom know whom they can trust, and because they are always playing one group against the other, must forfeit a stable family life and meaningful relationships. It's a fragmented and hollow lifestyle not many people would actually choose.

Still, years ago I seemed to be heading down a similar path, leading two, three, or even four lives. I wasn't a double agent and didn't even have a glamorous job or lifestyle, but I did spend much of my time wondering what would happen if different people in my life were to meet one another, and what they would think if they found out about my compartmentalized, conflicting, lifestyles.

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