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New to Five Minute Observations? Welcome. I’m Joe Class III, and I write stories and essays about what I notice, the encounters that reveal something true, and the moments that stick with you after they’re gone. If you’re just getting started, these three pieces will give you a sense of what this space is about:…
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“Do you dream in color? Or black and white?” Kenny asked Steve, looking from the edge of the Breckenmeyer Bridge. Both boys threw rocks and anything else they could find into the river below. The bridge spanned roughly a quarter mile and allowed one car at a time. But that was long before either boy…
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“It’s about time,” Molly uttered under her breath. Waiting for a few minutes? That was to be expected. But for over an hour, Molly’s best friend, Shannen, to do her hair and makeup was a little more than patience; that was ridiculous! “Sheesh. What all were you doing, anyway? I’ve been waiting down here for…
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“Who’s in charge? You or me?” That’s the kind of supercharged sentiment that separates micromanagers from leaders. It’s the difference between those who lead by fear instead of inspiring others. Leaders who challenge their people move in the same direction. Together, their team is unified against the odds. That’s a leader who will lead, being…
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“It’s not that big of a deal,” she said. “I mean, I really. I didn’t. No, I didn’t really want coffee. Not really, anyway.” Ten seconds earlier, she held a precariously balanced iced vanilla latte between her philosophy textbook, a day planner, and a hand-me-down iPhone 13 from her grandmother. Unlike other twenty-somethings, she refused…
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“Do I need to quarantine her?” Jim took one last drag from his cigarette, crushing it under his boot heel. “She’s been like this for two days, right, Hank?” Hank was standing to Jim’s left side, turning out his lip, scrubbing his gums of the loose tobacco, and spitting out the last bits of tobacco…
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The Tri-Cities of Hanover, Tweed, and Spiner weren’t always connected. Once upon a time, long before Floyd or Janice could recall, all four cities were independent. Yes, there were once four cities, all connected via the one road separating them, spanning roughly fifteen miles north, south, east, and west. Folks in this part of Iowa…
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“This is your what?” Shelly’s supervisor, Angela, held an unopened envelope in her hand. Angela sat behind her mahogany desk, polished to a shine, making those on the other side of the desk feel uncomfortable, as though they were in the presence of royalty. Unlike most interoffice hard copy full-size 8 1/2”X11” envelopes, it was…
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So, the following Saturday, Brent came over and took me back to his house in Livermore in the Vega. It was a twenty-minute drive, give or take, so we had time to talk about music and listen to Duran Duran and David Bowie. He played two songs from Bowie, and we talked about both tunes,…
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Storytelling takes account of the shoddy memories of the teller. My memories and the gaping holes in them make the tale more interesting, sometimes taking it off the rails into the depths of what can only be considered borderline lying. Those details often make it palatable, so I hope my recollection will be relatively accurate…
Stories. Enjoy!
