Five Minutes explores five minutes of a life in one hundred words. Five minutes is edited by Susanna Baird, with editorial support from managing editor Maria s. picone, newsletter editor kate meen, and founding reader bobbi lerman, plus our rotating team of guest readers, who you can meet in the latest newsletteR. Five Minutes was founded in October 2020, with the Salem (Mass.)-based writing group Carrot Cake Writers supplying the journal’s first pieces. We’d love to read your five. Submit here

Missed Layers

I had one of those trendy layered haircuts common in the ’80s, but it required precise curling every morning. Monday morning my alarm didn’t ring. I hurried through curling without a mirror and punctually arrived at school. Ironically, I began teaching a unit about time with my first graders. We discussed the purpose of clocks and alarms. I shared my missed alarm and morning rush. Six-year-old Aaron stared at me and innocently asked, “Is that what happened to your hair?” A moment of shocked silence as the children feared my reaction. I stared at Aaron and laughed uproariously. Darn layers.

Sabrina Christian, recently retired from the professional work world, is exploring the world of writing. She is looking forward to being able to freely travel again. Find Sabrina online at dndmeditation.com.

White Angst

Say Goodbye