One of the wonderful things about living in a city like New York is the way it continually conspires to throw you in among strangers. It does this pretty efficiently with sidewalks, restaurants, jury duty, and mass transit. And every once in a while, someone like Leigh Witchel has an encounter that borders on the surreal:

“I asked the American lady where they are going. ‘A human rights meeting.’ She sounded embarrassed so I apologized and explained I only meant generally. ‘You don’t frighten easily?’ she asked. I said no, but I was bracing myself. The Arab (more accurately Moroccan) woman, Aicha, is the mother of Zacarias Moussaoui. The American woman I was talking to lost her son in the Towers. Through his trial, they have become close.”

Read the rest of Witchel’s post.