Thread: Mentally unbalanced or just a dreamer?

I'm new to straight shaving, Lord knows it's not easy or quick. Far, far from painless, or cheap. I must then ask, Why?... What conceivable reason could a normal human have to make it harder to do what you already do? A better shave? The "Wow" factor? Perhaps a mental imbalance? This is my reason....

When I was younger, my father told me a story. He told me growing up in Latisana, Italy, (A farming dirt town) That he and his sister (My Aunt) saved and scrimped, until they could afford to buy a radio. Upon getting this radio how excited they were, including there parents. He told me how he would spend his evenings with his family just sitting and listening to it. All in amazement, and wonderment of this device...

Now, part of me says "Wow! What a lame childhood... A radio? Seriously? Buddy I've got a cell phone with a gig of ram in it..." But there's another part of me. One I can relate directly. I'm 31. Born in 1980. Not a big deal to some, a very big deal to me. (I was born after all!) And as a child I had but one choice of electronic entertainment. An Atari... That was it... Don't like pong, go mow the lawn... Thing was I loved that machine. It was the greatest thing in my life (at the time). But... One fateful day, I saw a commercial on the television. It was for a Nintendo. My brain literally melted. Oh My God! Mother! I HAVE to have this now! Buy it for Christmas, Please? The Atari is no good, This Nintendo will make me happy forever!... It took me a few years to finally get one... And I did... Less then year later... Sega Genesis... Oh My God! Mother! THIS TIME I will be really good! (and the usual complaining started).

I look back on the way I was, and in a lot of ways the way we all are. Always searching for the latest and greatest thing to buy. But do we really appreciate what we actually have at all? I've been from Atari, to the current gaming rigs. I must admit, Wow! We really went somewhere with this haven't we? But at what cost?

I hear people complaining about doing the laundry. Really? The laundry?... Here's laundry for you, go kneel over a river with a washboard for seven hours, until your hands are soar and worn out. That's laundry. buddy... That's laundry. Pushing a button, that's nothing at all.

Whining about taking too long to toss an item into a microwave oven. Wow, 30 seconds just too long a wait for you there champ?

Are we that complacent? That lazy?... What happened to us?... Life wasn't always this easy, and we survived just fine.

So, why did I choose this long, arduous path you may ask? Part of it initially was the 'wow factor' indeed, but as I began doing it, the pre-prep, the stropping, the slow meticulous shaves something changed. Looking at my reflection in the mirror a very strange feeling seeing the image of me. I felt oddly connected to the past in an unexplainable way. Don't get me wrong, I too dream of the perfect edge, and the best shave of my life. But stopping but just for a few moments each and every day, to turn what was once a forced chore all men have to do, into a wonderful, fulfilling experience. To know that I do what men have for hundreds of years before me. To know I took the time to learn an art so long lost to time. (it may sound corny, sorry) But that's why.

How many of us really ever take the time to appreciate what we have around us? How can we for that matter if the present is all we were born into?

Life's to short to skip over the fluff and only remember the really good parts...

Hopefully this wasn't to long, or strange of a post. This is just my reason for doing this.

Whoa! I am going with both! Hang in, Brother! It will sort itself out as long as you work on it. Funny about this straight shaving thing, it's all about you! Thats it! Nobody else.

The satisfaction not only lies in the end result, the best shave ever, but also in the learned skills that made it possible.

Some people take the easy way out. They live boring lives going with the flow rarely taking the time to take any risk, smell the roses, or accomplishing anything beyond he ordinary and expected.

Others have a little poetry to their soul. They live for all its worth. They invent light bulbs, they conquer nations, they sculpt masterpieces. They shave with straight razors.

Ray

Originally Posted by RayCover

Others have a little poetry to their soul. They live for all its worth. They invent light bulbs, they conquer nations, they sculpt masterpieces. They shave with straight razors.

Ray

But those are the similarities. There are also the perceived differences. Some listen to Brahms others listen to Tupac. Some learn Karate others learn Tai-Chi. Some drive a BMW others can barely afford a car. Even with antagonistic opposites they might all shave with straight razors.

What's that old say about it not being getting to the destination but the trip itself.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

What's that old say about it not being getting to the destination but the trip itself.

Can't agree more. It is the trip. I'm heading home now from Maxi's. He just re-honed my blade. Looking forward to getting back on the straight shaving road again. Going to shave as soon as I get home. Thanks for your replies everyone. I love this community.

Mentally imbalanced ? Kippo, I think you and I are the only two sane people on SRP ..... and sometimes I'm not sure about you !

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Mentally imbalanced ? Kippo, I think you and I are the only two sane people on SRP ..... and sometimes I'm not sure about you !

I was always told that the man who claims he's sane is usually the furthest from it.

Two thoughts

1) We live in a disposable society. When we use an item to reach our intended goal, we toss it and move on.

2) Just because technology has made certain tasks of our everyday life easier doesn't mean they have made them better.

I choose to shave with a straight razor because even though it's not as easy or fast as a disposable, I believe it is better. I shave with a number of razors, some from the turn of the century, and I hope someday someone will be shaving with my razors.