Eating lunch on a roof overlooking Marrakech, Morocco, my senses took in the smell of fresh spices, the sound of vendors at work, and the taste of a life seasoned pungently with the Islam faith. Colorful carpets hung on the adobe walls of flanked buildings. The feeling of a modest larger view served to reaffirm the fact that my daughter and I had been courageously discovering the intricate and engaged city of Marrakech, unhindered by the intimidating aggressive men who taunted us because we were what?

For 4 days my daughter and I had been wandering through a maze of narrow brick alleys while struggling to avoid getting in the way of passing natives, mules pulling carts, vintage bicycles operated by skilled riders, and 80 cc motorcycles spewing out thick exhaust. We listened to the calls to prayer amplified over the city yet were not. Curiously, each day, a few men would be triggered to provoke our attention, their shady comments showed a misinterpretation of our situation.

Yes, we sometimes did appear to be lost, but we knew it was only temporary.

We knew exactly where we were. In Marrakech. Furthermore, we could admit we practice the Christian faith, however, that includes a respect for Muslims. Naturally, most individuals did interpret our situation correctly and we were allowed to discover courageously the intricate unique and engaged city of Marrakech.

The same human being that misinterprets everyday situations is likely to misinterpret religion. My daughter and I would not allow ourselves to interpret the aggressive men as practitioners of a religion but rather human beings in a competitive business environment vying for the attention of patrons.

Therefore, we loved our adventure, the experience, the people, and now the memories.