I went to visit a friend. We spent hours drinking coffee and talking about all kinds of things.

I couldn’t shake the image of that odd toilet seat, like an unfinished circle daring me to figure it out. When my friend laughed at my confusion, it only made the mystery feel more ridiculous and strangely personal. How could something I’d used my whole life suddenly look unfamiliar? Back home, even my husband was stumped, which made me feel a little less foolish and a lot more intrigued.