Five Minute Observations

Tag: Storytelling

  • Driving to Gibson Instead of Mercy

    Driving to Gibson Instead of Mercy

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    She panicked and drove straight to Gibson. What happened next is the best argument for harm reduction you’ll ever read.

  • The Warming Center

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    Every Sunday morning, she walks through the church doors, and it follows her. Nobody notices. Nobody asks. Today on Five Minute Observations, I’m writing about the cold that doesn’t register on any thermometer. And the only thing that actually fixes it.

  • 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.

  • Why You Are a Story Worth Telling

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in , ,

    A quiet moment at Flaming Geyser State Park. A question to my dad. A camera around his neck. I didn’t know then how much that day would teach me about storytelling and why our ordinary lives might hold the most extraordinary stories of all. What if the one you’ve been carrying is the one someone…

  • Fighting for My Writing at Midnight

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    Joe Class III
    in , ,

    The coffee shop clock blinks an angry red glow—11:47 PM. My freelance article sits unfinished, due in eight hours. My finger hovers over the ChatGPT app. Three taps and I’m done. But fifteen years ago, a college professor taught me why shortcuts always backfire.

  • The 35 MPH Test

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    A father chooses integrity over his daughter’s scholarship interview, teaching her that character matters more than convenience. Small choices shape who we become.

  • Flagged

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in ,

    “If I think it’s spam, it’s spam. That’s how democracy works. Majority of one.” Sometimes office life makes you petty. Sometimes you act on it.

  • Truth Is Always Stranger than Fiction

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    A late-night traffic stop becomes a reminder: storytelling connects us, grounds us, and makes us known. In a world of strangers, our stories are how we find our way home.

  • 🚨 Book Launch Alert! 🚨

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    I’m thrilled to share that my new book, Stories, Anecdotes, and Real Life, is now live on Amazon through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)! 🎉📚 This collection brings together heartfelt stories, personal experiences, and reflections that speak to everyday life — the funny, the meaningful, and the unexpectedly profound moments we all share. Publishing through KDP…

  • Ms. Francelli, VP of Human Relations, Graymer Inc.

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    When she stood on the other side of her desk, it intimidated everyone on staff. Mickey worked hard for her position at Graymer Incorporated. It took years of 80-plus hour weeks, countless hours in pointless meetings, and naive supervisors that she knew, without a doubt, that she was above them in intellect. Armed with only…

  • Communication = Love

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    Joe Class III
    in

    “Ugh! My freaking bank, Marcus! Sheesh. Why can’t they get things fixed?” “What is it now?” Marcus asked, glancing over the top of his laptop screen. Marcus was a screenwriter for Netflix, trying to develop a script for a pilot television show. The cursor was angrily blinking at him, not that it mattered much. He…

  • “Bee Stings.”

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    Joe Class III
    in

    Glen’s tongue, thick and heavy from the excessive amounts of Hamm’s he consumed, made it hard to understand any word he spoke with an ‘s’ in it. The foreman of a hot asphalt roofing crew for Loren Smallen, Glen was happiest off the roof, smoke burning between the fingers of his right hand and a…

  • Who’s Telling the Truth? The Front-Line Worker or the CEO?

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    Joe Class III
    in

    “Homework, Wes. I hate homework. Especially when I’m trying to figure out if a company as large as yours is listening to and acting on the truth of their culture.” “Well, our culture is excellent. Our performance reviews say it all. Great place to work. Wonderful staff. Management stops and listens to grievances. The vision…

  • Follow the Leader – Sort Of

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Mark, Joe, and Chris were all friends back in the day. We’re talking about the early 1970s when kids were shoved outside and told to play, often unsupervised and unregulated. But for the three boys, they didn’t think much about that. Mark was a bit of a loudmouth and opinionated on every subject. A fan…

  • Securing A Career

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    Joe Class III
    in

    For more than a year, I’ve been actively seeking employment where I can stand out above the crowd, make a difference in my work, and be a part of something bigger than me. Instead I find myself stuck where I can easily be replaced, where my job isn’t all that important in the grand scheme…

  • The New Kid

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    Joe Class III
    in

    Hermes. I know. I laughed when I first heard his name, too. I couldn’t help it, but there it was, my laughter out in front of the classroom. He was a scrawny guy with curly, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. From the back, it was easy to mistake him for a girl. My friends…

  • Mastering Storytelling

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    Joe Class III
    in

    Like it or not, people born on this planet have a narrative. Everyone wants to talk. Some about an event. For others, it’s a task they finished or a budding relationship. Or maybe they just ended their marriage. Whatever it is, you will find someone ready to tell you all about it! And what is…

  • Lawson Returns to Spiner

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Marshall hit the brakes of the SUV, Lawson almost hitting his head on the dashboard, even with the seatbelt on. Struggling to open his eyes, Lawson rubbed them, blinking a few times. “Where in the ever-loving name of all that is holy are we? And where did you learn to drive, kiddo? Holy crap. You’ve…

  • Carded For Cookies

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    Joe Class III
    in ,

    Grandpa is a great guy, but he’s got this thing about Oreo cookies. He can’t get enough of them. Before we knew what an obsession was or a sugar addiction, there was what Grandpa called his sweet tooth. And every few days, when Mom, Dad, and my sister, Sarah, visited his condo on the shore…

  • Creativity

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    by

    Joe Class III
    in

    I’m not sure I’m smart enough to understand how it works or what it is. I’m no scientist. I’m not a researcher. But I do know what creative thinking looks like. I know how my brain works, creating a solution from nothing. But can I paint like Michaelangelo? Not even if I wanted to! Can…