Thursday, February 11th, 2021

In the office kitchen, a coworker goes on an extended rant about Americans, vaccination, and capitalism. I don’t know a lot of the words he uses. I smile and nod vaguely as I make my coffee. I’d probably agree with what he’s saying, but I can’t be sure. After the afternoon prayers, several of us get into a discussion of the word “beyond”. One coworker thinks it means the same thing as “behind”. Another thinks that something beyond you is always in front of you. I demonstrate that that isn’t so by trying to reach an object that’s off to my left, more than an arm’s length away. And then I talk about how “beyond” isn’t always in terms of physical distance. I reference Buzz Lightyear. It helps. I get back to work on a project that I had last worked on three “Drop everything and do this instead” crises ago. On the way home, I pass a spot on the sidewalk where a mirror shattered last week. The glass still glistens ominously. I wonder if someone gets seven more years of bad luck if their foot further crushes a shard. I don’t take a chance. I walk in the street.