This essay is in the style of The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon, lady-in-waiting to the Empress of Japan during the tenth century. Now regarded as one of the world’s first great personal essayists, Shōnagon thought she was only keeping a diary. Her essays often take the form of lists with titles like “Hateful Things,” “Adorable Things,” and “Things That Make the Heart Beat Faster.”

— Marion Winik

 

I return to my small gray Toyota just in time to see a huge SUV back into my front end before pulling away. At first I am horrified, then relieved to find that no damage has been done. After driving home, I get a second surprise: the silver Toyota logo was jarred loose by the impact and has fallen off the hood somewhere en route. A depressing black oval remains.