Recently I was scheduled to take a train that got delayed, which was a shame because a friend was planning to take me to some good theatre that evening.
I called my friend from the station to give her the bad news.
She asked what the prognosis was, and without thinking I said “I’ll get there eventually, Allah willing.”
Then I stopped for a moment — something about what I had just said made me pause. I looked at the cell phone in my hand, as though seeing it for the first time.
“And I would just like to add,” I continued, “that I think the folks at the NSA are doing a fine job.”