Five Minute Observations

Tag: life

  • Refuse to Quit

    Refuse to Quit

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    She had no standing. No invitation. Absolutely no business being there. She walked in anyway. I’ve confused institutional pressure with correction, leaving the room believing I was the problem. I’m still discovering the difference between humility and surrender. New post. Short. Honest. And straight to the point. Link in the comments. Five Minute Observations.

  • When Nobody’s Watching

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    The afternoon sun hit her face. Keys in hand, she did the math. Rent in nine days. Electric past due. Javier needed new shoes. Not wanted. Needed. Forty-three dollars in checking. Then she saw it.

  • Which Direction Leads Home

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    Once, a long time ago, I had a friend. He was someone who I knew didn’t agree with me on, well, pretty much everything, including politics. He called me an idiot for believing the way I did, and it was people like me who made it harder for people like him to give away money,…

  • A Life in Common

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    Love looks like staying. You choose not to say the thing that hurts because today? It’s not the right day. You choose patience, telling yourself that giving out grace is best. But like it or not, a marriage, or even a church, often ends long before the final, resolute goodbye. There’s no shouting. It doesn’t…

  • He Knows My Name

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    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?

  • Say It Out Loud

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    Healthy relationships start when we learn to say what we actually need instead of hoping others will figure it out.

  • Avo Meets Liberty

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in , ,

    A simple dog walk turns complicated when Avo meets Liberty, a beagle whose owner has strong opinions about the neighborhood. Five minutes of polite conversation leaves me wondering: How well I really know the people living next door? And what do they really know about me?

  • What’s Community?

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    Made three people completely invisible yesterday. My 8-year-old called me out.

  • Liquid Rocket Fuel

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    ⚽ Twelve 8-year-olds + 200mg of caffeine + one mortified coach = the best bar story you’ll hear today. Trust us, you want to hear how this ends.

  • Seventeen Minutes

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    It started with a bank envelope. Fat with cash. Eight hundred and fifty dollars. Carl’s and my paychecks—cashed and crisp, now bulging in my pocket. Not what I expected to carry that morning. I thought I was grabbing wipers and running errands, not stuffing Carl’s dad’s rental envelope into my jacket and slipping behind the…

  • Three States, One Car, Zero Plan

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    By Joe Class III Picture this: It’s past midnight in Dublin, California. I’m eighteen years old, driving in circles like a lost tourist. Except I’m not—I’m basically homeless, living out of my four-door brown Datsun with a souped-up 280Z four-speed manual transmission. Terrible life choices, I know. Less than two weeks earlier, I’d blown up…

  • Rule One: Know What You’re Walking Into

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Evening at Gemini’s, the hanging filament bulbs give an amber glow to the inside of the bar. Low-level laughter and conversation echoed through the establishment. A platinum-blonde strolled in. Not a care in the world, she popped her gum, sounding like the poppers adolescent boys threw at each other on the 4th of July. Tossing…

  • Truth Wears the Crown: Why Integrity Matters

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    No sugarcoating. No fibs. Not even the little ones grown-ups call ‘harmless.’ Tiny little Anya, four years old, wild blonde curls dancing in the sunlight when she ran. When adults looked her in the eye, they could see something missing in most people – honest, heartfelt emotions. At Happy Trails Daycare, Anya’s preschool, all the…

  • Cham Shows Up

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    “Brrr!” Sandy exclaimed, voice quivering. Rubbing her arms vigorously, she did her best, chasing goosebumps erupting like tiny mountains on her pale white arms. Skin-to-skin friction didn’t seem to help much. “What, brrr, Sandy?” Trent asked, lowering his sunglasses just enough to peer at his girlfriend. His expression of concern and amusement flickered across his…

  • Can’t Do It.

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    “Just drop me off at the dispensary.” Take the job. Drive for fun and profit. You love to drive. Why the hell not? It won’t ever be crazy. You won’t be asked strange, weird things. It’ll be fine and normal. You live in a small town. You are far enough from Los Angeles unless you…

  • Cheetos Trucks Infestation

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    “I don’t go out much anymore, Will. The Cheetos trucks I told you about? They are coming more frequently.” Jerry crushed his cigarette in the overfull ashtray after taking one more drag. “Bringing in more and more of those . . . I’m not sure what you call ‘em, Will.” Staring into space, he stopped…

  • Conspiracy Theory #381: Cheetos Trucks

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    I’ve said it before, so let me repeat myself. I am NOT a conspiracy theorist. But if I were, how would I explain how I’ve seen more than eight Cheetos trucks driving north on I-55. My first thought was I’m imagining this. If that were true, how would you explain me driving south I-55 when…

  • Don’t You Forget About Me!

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    TIME OUT! Social media is the place we go when we want to see what’s up, what’s new, and what’s next in the lives of our friends and family. It’s where we find out what Aunt Brenda ate for dinner last Tuesday. Instagram photos show you unique places with amazing people, many of whom you…

  • Scouting for a Video Project

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    A thick layer of dust coated a covered loveseat. It wasn’t the only piece of furniture in the room. There was a stack of uncovered chairs, a massive table covered in a canvass-like material, and three candle operas atop the covered table, the candles themselves melted down to the base of each holder. It didn’t…

  • Rothenberg’s Appointment

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    “Doctor Rothenberg, Fawn is here to see you.” Doctor Valencia Rothenberg hired Traci Underhill part-time, helping the Doctor answer the telephone, questions, and general office work so she could see more patients. Traci’s hard work and dedication to Valencia’s practice worked well for her, with incremental raises, a few well-received bonuses, and profit-sharing, which was…