Talking

Imagine you're in a gangster movie from 40's or 50's and a copper comes into your office and you're talking. It could be hostile talking or pleasant conversation, it doesn't matter. Whatever, you and the copper are talking and he asks you about the matchbook on your desk. What do you tell him? Well, let me tell you what I'd tell that copper, I'd say* 'What? You don't have one on your desk? It's like if you carry a pocketknife. It's like being a Boy Scout, be prepared'.

* now that I've had fifteen minutes to ruminate on the situation. I went through a zillion little scenarios before landing on this one. I just changed the tense on that verb. Because somebody said: active voice is better than passive voice? It was 'I landed' and now it is 'landing'. Is 'landed' passive and 'landing' active?