This past weekend, events arose leading me to unexpectadly travel from Virginia to New York. Having been raised in New Jersey during the earlier years of my life, though I must have forgotten about the pot-holes, I was at least somewhat expecting the pollution and the noise that are so common to the two states. There was one thing I had forgotten to take into consideration, however. Unlike my earlier life in New Jersey, I now wear a headscarf, a pseudo announcement to the world that I am Muslim.
While traveling accross the Brooklyn bridge, I sat in our small grey minivan admiring the awesome structure of that huge contraption. "How was it," I thought, "that we, as a people, have come so far that we can build such a magnificient structure?" For anyone that has passed through the Brooklyn bridge, I am sure these thoughts have come to mind. Just then, a light bulb went off. "I should definately savor this moment by forever perserving its magnificence with a pictre," I thought.
I hurridly looked through my bag and took out my digital camera. I held the camera firmly on the back seat so as to avoid the picture blurring from the vehicle's motion. I looked outside from the back window and angled the camera to what I thought would be a nice snapshot. I took a couple of pictures then noticed the driver in the car behind us. The license plate indicated that it was a diplomat's car. The driver looked horrified.
At first, I wondered why. Did he think I was taking a picture of him? "What's wrong with him? What's the big deal," I thought. Then it hit me. Here I am, on the brooklyn bridge, with a camera in my hand and a scarf on my head. Here I am, a Muslim taking pictures in New York.
For whatever it was worth, I actually felt sorry for the guy. He must have been so frightened. I humbly put away my camera and sat back down. "I hope he doesn't report our liscence plate to the feds," I thought. "I don't want to spend my weekend being interrogated in prison."
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