Blog No. 32
I promised my friend that I would write about my facial hair. I’m not sure why she thinks that would be interesting, but I’m going to do what I can to make it entertaining. I don’t want this post to turn into a review but it’s going to be hard avoiding it. For my birthday I received wet shaving accoutrements – the present I was talking about in my last post. A very cool but rather adult present indeed. But the story of the beard starts well before my birthday.
One day in early May I woke up to my usual three or four day stubble. Normally after a few days of not shaving I reluctantly accept that I need to shave and shave. This time there was something different though. The urge just wasn’t there. Days later I was leaving for work and my brother mentioned something about my now progressing beard. I was shocked myself to see that he too had a beard in progress. We thought it was funny (especially since we hadn’t discussed growing any facial hair) and declared that we were both growing beards.
I made some off handed comment on facebook that day and was treated with responses from a few of my friends that they had started to grow beards as well. The coincidence was amusing and my faith in my burgeoning facial hair was made fast. I didn’t know where it had come from or where it was going, but a beard had chosen me and I was going to enjoy the ride.
I have had periods before in my life where I didn’t shave for a while (I even take part in the Movember awareness month) but nothing had ever lasted as long as this beauteous facial embellishment. This was something new and I was determined to make it last. It was then that I had the idea to wait until my birthday to shave. I had already asked for the shaving gear as a present so it seemed like the perfect time. It wasn’t always easy. Along with the compliments I received many negative comments and people strongly suggesting that I shave it off. I persisted and was treated with a luxurious beard in the end. (Not that it was as magnificent as the beards that adorn some of my friends).
As a treat to those around me (and a little for my own amusement), the last three days before my birthday were spent with some serious chops rather than the full beard. They were rediculous and humorous but that was the point of them. Fun while it lasts is fun all the same. Now I am back to clean shaved and if things work out with my new safety razor and brush I will be more cleanly shaved than ever before.
As far as the first use of my wet shaving devices, my face feels pretty good though I think I wasn’t patient enough for my first go. I got a few nicks and the shave isn’t terribly clean, but there is a learning curve and I have to trust that I will improve.
The deciding factor is that though the shave wasn’t some magical experience (It wasn’t bad or anything) I feel like I could shave again right now. For me that’s unheard of. Even a full twenty-four hours usually isn’t enough for that. My face is always red and sore from shaving and trying to pull a sharp piece of metal across it again is agony. But now, after the safety razor, I feel like another shave would be fine. My face may end up a little tender, but there is no razor burn. I am excited to shave again tomorrow. The only down side is that though I am a year older, I look like a kid again.
Also the brush is real badger hair!
Ben Van Dongen 