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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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When two cops knock on your best friend’s bedroom door at 7:45 AM looking for you, every instinct screams run. But at fifteen, where do you go when the law is on the wrong side? Some knocks change everything. Some systems fail everyone. A true story about family, justice, and survival.
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The room goes silent when Lorne Michaels says he wants to change a few words. Blood rushes to my ears. My heart pounds. In seconds, I’ll make a choice changing everything.
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The phone rings on the other side of the cubicle. “This is Johnson,” the voice answering it sings, like he’s on a Broadway stage. No. Probably off-Broadway, because it’s Johnson. He’s my suitemate with a penchant for various types of musicals, but opera singers like Pavarotti? That’s where his passion lives. That, and anything musical…
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A stranger in Pioneer Square quotes lines from banned books. Ink-stained fingers. Knowledge of old stories makes him dangerous. But it’s what he knows about me that turns my blood cold. In a world without books, how does he know my name?
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George Orwell wrote about 1984. I lived through it. They weren’t the same thing. Junior high was worse.
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Outrage? That’s easy. Love? That’s a whole lot harder. And I’m tired of wounding people with my words. This is my messy, hopeful attempt at fighting less, loving better, and hopefully helping others to heal.
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We scroll through endless battles. Comments sections become war zones. Everyone demands you pick a side. But what if there’s a third option? What if the thing we’re all desperately searching for in our divided world isn’t found in winning arguments or defending positions? Sometimes the most radical choice isn’t choosing Team A or Team…
Stories. Enjoy!
