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 and founding reader bobbi lerman; May READERS Darcy alsop, PRERNA BAROOAH, AMITA BASU, Sarina Caragan, Antony Püttschneider, and Elisa Rivera; and May Editorial intern sienna lew. 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

Lost My Way

I have always been a stickler for meticulous preparation and planning, perhaps dating back to my Boy Scout days or maybe just a product of my OCD. Nothing is taken for granted nor left merely to chance. I was reviewing a checklist for our upcoming family vacation, ensuring that we had an entertaining and workable agenda of daily activities. Focused on my project, I did not notice my 11-year-old daughter approaching. She suddenly hugged me and told me how much she was looking forward to spending time with me on our vacation. I then realized I had missed the point.

Scott Finelli is a retired gastroenterologist living in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He is a member of the West Florida Literary Federation.

Say Goodbye

Embracing Weird