Why I love to shave.

There are a lot of things in this world over which I have no control. I can't control, for example, what the weather will be like or if the schmucks driving next to me on my way to work will cut me off. I can't control a user dropping his laptop in a puddle and expecting me to get it fixed on the spot. I can't control my ex-wife's ability to pay child support.
Shaving is one thing I have total and complete control over, every day.

I have found that in the morning, the ritual of soaking my brush, choosing a soap / cream, lathering, shaving with several passes, and following up with one of several aftershaves / balms has the ability to set the tone for my day with great precision.

For example, some mornings I wake up kind of sluggish and have a hard time diving through my shower routine. Those are the mornings in which my Proraso comes in handy - it's bracing and cool as a shave cream, and the aftershave splash and balm finish me up leaving me completely awake and ready to take on the day.

On other mornings, I wake up feeling pretty okay about life and my upcoming day, and I'm into a more luxurious shave. Those 10 or 15 minutes are spent in the wonderful aroma and feel of Art of Shaving's sandalwood cream - or if I'm feeling it, the lavender pops in rotation instead. I can follow it up with patchouli or sandalwood splash and perhaps a QED patchouli /teatree / peppermint balm, and I'm smelling and feeling good, ready to take on the day.

Then there's the mornings like today, where I'm running a bit late... I snagged my jar of soap,lathered up my face and GOGOGO. Tabac followed by a quick balm has turned into me "OH MY GOD MOVE MOVE MOVE" shave, and I've found that despite the scent not being ideal, it Just Works.

A good shave can really set the tone... but then there's the other end of the spectrum where I know that the day is shot. After a bad shave - say I tore myself up with the Injector or had a bad lather base with irritation - I might as well call off work and go to bed. Fortunately, those days are few and far between. I've found that those days tend to happen when I don't adequately clear my head in the shower, or when I'm really stressed out.

Shaving is more than just a way to get the hair off my face. It's become my meditation in the morning, as essential to the day as my first cup of coffee or stretching out of my bed. I'm a better person for having discovered this - I can't honestly imagine what shaving was like before, only what... 9 months ago, when I was still using my Mach III and using horrid creams in the cans, tearing myself to shreds 3 times a week.


EDIT: I have linked this post to the Badger and Blade forums asking why people love to shave over there. Some incredible posts showing up in the thread already - a highly recommended read!