“Monday 5 Things” ….. Admissions …..
October 6th, 2025 by D. Paul Graham
Ever curious and always amused by the quirks of life, join D. Paul Graham each Monday for more M5T pondering.
“Some Mondays Begin with a Glow” photo by D. Paul Graham
Some Mondays strive for order and insight. Today is about admitting to the silly little truths that sit just below the surface. I’ve got a whole catalogue of quirks, idiosyncrasies, strange habits, and rituals in my life. You probably have one or two of your own. Beneath our personal highlight reels and curated stories, we’re all a little messy, a little irrational, we do ridiculous and hilarious things, and we are a lot more alike than we think. And that’s the whole point of this morning’s M5T.
1. LIFE: EVERYDAY ADMISSIONS. I have some strong opinions about trivial things. I don’t really like Taylor Swift. I arrange my shirts in the closet by color. I believe tire pressure reveals a person’s character. These micro-obsessions might not matter to anyone else, but they absolutely matter to me. I treat mundane objects like living beings. I’ve said please and thank you to Siri and have whispered pep talks to cars. I still don’t know how to fold a fitted sheet and have organized a fridge at midnight. I take different routes to the same places, just in case I’m being followed. I have irrational fears of buffet lines, and judge coffee shops by their latte art. I still don’t understand Bit Coin and never understood NFTs. I still say, “let it unthaw” rather than just “let it thaw”. I try to use the same parking spot every time at Publix, Kroger, and Whole Wallet. I have, more than once, Googled “Is it too late to become a race car driver?”
2. TRAVEL: AIRPORT, HOTEL & ROAD ADMISSIONS. Airports turn me into a completely different person. Part power walker, part amateur anthropologist, and part TSA overachiever who takes pride in not removing my shoes because of TSA Pre-Check and Clear. I people-watch, overthink boarding groups, wander through duty-free like it’s a museum, and secretly love to watch airplane safety videos. I pretend that I don’t care about boarding classes. But oh do I. I have favorite places to sit in every Delta Lounge. Hotels bring out my strangest idiosyncrasies. I judge hotels by the quality of their robes. I have collected ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs for over 40 years, I rearrange furniture in the room to feel at home and have been known to hoard tiny shampoos like they’re rare artifacts. I eat room service in a well-engineered pillow fort on my bed. I have gotten into the shower with my glasses on thinking how steamy the shower was and have twice gargled shampoo thinking that little green bottle was mouthwash. I once returned from an extended business trip and called the police thinking my Porsche had been stolen. I had taken a limo home and forgot I drove my car to the airport. I have a serious case of wanderlust.
3. DRIVING: BEHIND THE WHEEL ADMISSIONS. Some people commute. I headline. Red lights are my concert halls. My steering wheel becomes a full-on drum kit. I’ve missed exits mid-drum solo. I secretly hope other drivers notice my impeccable rhythm and appreciate my flawless 7/8 groove at 60 mph. I narrate my drives like I’m starring in a movie with dramatic internal monologues, philosophical musings, and voiceovers worthy of a trailer. I consider it treachery when people use the fast lane to go slow. I have been known to squeeze the heads of other drivers between my thumb and forefinger, (inspired by Kids in the Hall) revoking their licenses because of stupid driving habits. I’ve planned entire drives around tunnel acoustics for the sheer joy of a downshift echo bouncing off concrete walls. My car is a mobile TED Talk. I argue and make counterpoints. With myself. I have given motivational speeches and have made life plans between stoplights. Many of my best ideas have been formed in my car. At any given time, alone in my car, I can be an Italian tenor, a 70’s rock star, or 60’s folk singer. Please don’t get me going on “I Am, I Said.” Siri may take me places, but I provide the plot.
4. CARTS: AMAZON ADMISSIONS. I’ve bought the same item twice because I forgot I already had one. Somewhere in our house, there’s a small museum of duplicate tech accessories. I justify nearly every purchase as a ‘work expense.’ LED lights? Essential. Camera mug? Branding. Novelty cable organizer? Strategic. I spend way too much time comparing $12 items, then buy both anyway. My research would make NASA proud, even if it’s for a USB cable. I now consider overnight delivery a basic human right and feel slighted when something isn’t eligible for Prime. I blame Jeff Bezos for impulse purchases and for the boxes that I keep just in case I need them later. I track packages with the intensity of a day-trader watching the market. I consider the return policy as a correction for bad decisions. And yes, I celebrate every ‘Delivered’ notification like a personal victory.
5. EXPOSED: PHOTOGRAPHIC ADMISSIONS. ‘Just one more shot’ is a lie I tell myself constantly. That one shot inevitably becomes 147 more. I’ve contorted myself into shapes that would make a yoga instructor proud. The shot matters more than my knees and back. The “Graham Squat” is world renowned. I judge restaurant menus by their photography and silently critique the lighting on billboards. I’ve stopped traffic for a shot no one else would notice and have risked my life for a reflection in a puddle. Once you see light like a photographer, you can’t unsee it. I have hard drives full of unedited photos that I swear I’ll get to ‘soon.’ It’s like creative purgatory, both comforting and guilt-inducing at the same time. I may own more camera bags than pairs of pants. You will see my eyes squint at anyone who says “Nice Camera. It must take great pictures.” Or my favorite, “My iPhone can do everything all that gear can.” I can’t just look at a scene. I mentally compose it. I will spend days checking how the light is at the same spot. I still get a little nervous before every shoot. My camera connects me to life yet makes me a step back as I compose, observe, and create an image.
Here’s to a week of honest truths, harmless nonsense, and the beautifully human stuff that makes our journeys worth every moment.
© 2025 D. Paul Graham, All Rights Reserved
Paul continues to change his route every day.
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