The Generalists

The West thinks of Islam's spread as one solely driven by Jihad.

Yet the Islamic merchant held the mythical place of the European Knight, in centuries past.

The bazaar, the caravaranserai, the souk, the Karimis.

What the medieval Muslims did was a little bit of everything, with a finger in every pot.

Able to pivot in any direction.

I remember a crosswalk in San Francisco. We were waiting for the crossing light to flash on. When it did, we crossed. Coyote and I.

After that, I kept noticing coyotes waiting for the crossing light.

Crossing on crosswalks.

The most adaptable of predators.