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

Well?

Born of fierce independence and intent on passing this on to his children, my father required us to learn from his excellent financial acumen. And so I sit at the kitchen table, an investment website open on my laptop, him hovering over my shoulder, saying, “You need to learn to take care of your money. You need to invest.” “OK,” I respond. He says, “I’m going to teach you how to put in an order.” “Ok . . .” Confused, I await further instructions, the incomprehensible dashboard of acronyms and numbers in front of me. “Well?” He asks impatiently. “Put in an order!”

Melissa Owens is no longer a university student trying to write things down before she forgets. It happens far too quickly. She lives in London. Find Melissa on Twitter @Meli_Owens.

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