Not So Random Observation During the Early Stages of the ARQ Project

I've been bringing my Qur'an with me to work so that if I have time on breaks or at lunch I can read a little bit. I carry it and a little notepad around in my purse.

Today I'm leaving early to go to my yearly eye appointment. There's nothing wrong but my insurance covers a yearly check-up and since I'm blinder than a bat without corrective lenses, I take advantage of this. Seriously. My range of vision ends at the end of my nose and I have a short nose.

I was packing my purse this morning with my Qur'an and Murdock (for the gym later) and there's always wait time at the doctors' office so I was thinking, 'Oh, hey, I'll have some time to get some more reading in...' and then a little voice said, 'But what if someone *notices* that you're reading the Qur'an. In *public*.'

And it actually, honestly, made me pause. What if.

I mean what could happen? Someone says something rude to me? Someone asks me a question? People think mean thoughts about me? Nothing *bad*, right? But there's still this niggling feeling that I'm doing something wrong by reading it in public. I don't have the same, 'Whoa, wait, let's think about this!' reaction when I think about reading the Bible or any of my other books in public. And trust me, I've read some strange books in public. See: the book on the cultural history of the penis. So why do I feel that way about the Qur'an?

Do any of you guys ever notice that you have a new follower and wonder, 'Where did you come from? How did you find me? Are you sure you know what you're getting into here? Because I feel like you may not be aware of the insanity that goes on in this space.'? *pokepokepoke*

Anyway...

This was going to be a post about Islam and my trying to figure out why I keep circling it when I have so many other options to vent my religious needs on, but it's too chilly in my office and I just want to leave and get to the gym. And I'm still not sure how to phrase what I'm trying to say. So you get this bit of random instead.