Great read! Thanks for sharing your insightful perspective. Frequently I will think out my day and some of things I want to accomplish. By planning ahead, you'll gain more than you lose by not having a well thought out day. And as a bonus, you'll get a great shave!
Very well written, Johnny, and very true indeed. I do enjoy our daily ritual and won't slow it down for nothing.
Great thought, and put to prose very nicely indeed...Bravo!! I think sometimes I get caught up in the great results, and efficent whisker removal, but I'll still rush the process....But then after a few days of this cycle I'll catch myself; like today...And slow down and just enjoy every minute....That did happen today BEFORE I read your artical...Then when I did read it...Boy did I identify! Only you put it into words so well, exactly why I felt so good after todays shave I think that might be one thing that your son is missing...He's digging the great shave, but not the pure decadent pampering he can get by adding some fragrent soaps, a great brush, and some good smelling stuff like that Floid Blue he's getting...I imagine he will see exactly what the big picture of TWS is... and show him this thread about slowing down intentionally to just enjoy.... Thanks again Johnny By the way, I certainly consider myself a 'modern' guy...and my shave ritual reflects that...Why my Gillette Senator is one-piece with the TTO option.....And I see your Schick is of the Hydro-magic variety....Talk about 'Modern Guys"...I think we're right at the cutting edge of shave technology before things reached the point of diminishing returns...
Your point about time is well-taken. As a teacher, I must be very aware of time, or I cannot teach a lesson effectively. But, when I come home, my watch comes off, just after my coat does.
Thank you very much for a great article! Regarding some points you made: I agree that constantly rushing around reduces the quality of life. Wetshaving hobbyists can become enamored with involved, lengthy and very satisfying shaving rituals. Taking an extra 20 minutes in the morning may be easier said than done for many folks, however. It is possible to get a great traditional wetshave in 5 minutes or so. I do it every morning. Many, perhaps most, members here qualify as wetshaving "hobbyists". There are also individuals who just want to get a quick, smooth, comfortable and affordable shave and get going. Whip up a lather with the brush, do a three pass shave, apply some aftershave and done. For them, the facial wash, the pre-shave oil, multiple aftershaves/aftershave balms, using different razors in one shave, hot towels, etc. are an unneeded and unwelcome expense and waste of time. What is important is that one can get excellent shaves at both extremes and any point in between. We have a choice! When describing traditional wetshaving to others, that is an important point to note. If people smoke cigarettes, eat fast food, fly in airplanes and text instead of conversing, it is because they choose to do so. If a lack of vitality results, then a healthier lifestyle would help considerably. Such a lifestyle can save money, as well. These things are well known. What is less well known is that traditional wetshaving still exists as an option and is once again thriving. The more we can do to spread the word, the more everyone will benefit. It looks like the world is approaching a tipping point in this regard.
If you can lather up with a brush and do a three pass shave in 5-minutes, you are a better man than me. From start to finish it takes me 20-minutes and I don't do any hot towels or pre shave oils. I do wash my face before I lather.
Very well said. 20 minutes is not that much earlier to wake-up in the morning and some forget the little things that make life just a little bit nicer
I'm tired of rushing around all day, everyday. I look forward to a relaxing shave with my favorite soap every morning. It's theraputic.
You've been reading my mind with this article. We rush from one thing to the next and are thinking about what we are going to do in the future, instead being present to ourselves while we are doing what we are doing...as in shaving.
Johnny, you speak the truth, its a shame though that all this supposed extra time we should have doesn't exist as its usually being spent doing things we don't want to do, like work....
One of the things I really enjoy about retirement. The day I retired, I came home and put my watch in the jewelry box and threw the Franklin Planner in the trash. It's either daylight or dark and what happens then is controlled by me. I wake up when I want, shave how I want, and take a nap when I want. Other than getting older and being on fixed income, life is good.
Great article Johnny...Funny thing is the same thing your son told you is what both of my daughters tell me...But I simply explain that this is my "spa" time and they soon understand.
I usually do a two pass shave in 5 minutes, which gives an acceptably clean shaven appearance. CVS store brand and Rainbow blades seem particularly good with two pass shaves, which helps considerably. A third pass to get a smoother shave would be another 2 minutes or perhaps a little less. I wash my face in the shower with a washcloth and soap just before shaving, and did not count that as part of the 5 minutes. Maybe it would be a good idea to take a little more time for each shave, though. Your article certainly is food for thought.
Perhaps I can add an additional small element to this. Some of us are owls and some are doves. I was an owl in my younger, working years. I'd stay up late, have trouble shutting down the mind to get to sleep, and then need a crowbar to get myself out of bed in the morning. I would arise at 7:15 AM and be at work at 8:00. Needless to say, my shave wasn't leisurely. I have always wet shaved, but used the canned stuff for speed and efficiency. It wasn't until after I retired in 1992 that I discovered the joy of a brush. In 1992, I didn't have a computer so the information we now have from sites such as this was not available. I simply tried some Williams with a cheap brush. I did this because the Williams was .75 cents a cake and I'm a cheap SOB. Now, mind you I had no instruction or information on the fine art of true shaving. I tried wet and runny. I tried dry and dusty shaving. I persisted simply because, as I said before, I'm a tightwad. I'd purchased the soap and I would use it regardless of the pain. Well, anyway we now have wonderful forums and I have some quality brushes and a variety of soaps and creams. Since I'm retired I have time to pamper myself and my daily shave is something I look forward to. It is no longer a chore. It's a pleasure. My wife doesn't understand this at all, but after 55 years together she lets me do my thing as I let her do hers. I'm not sure there is any moral to this, but I think 100 years ago people may have enjoyed parts of life a lot more because they took the time. The old barber shops were a meeting place where a man could go to enjoy a shave while also getting caught up on the town news, etc. If we could resurrect a little bit of that in our lives it might be a good thing.
May I suggest you read the following. I think you might enjoy them. Then and Now and Rediscover the Barbershop
Well I am definitely one of the slower guys out there. From start to finish including clean up time is usually around 40 minutes! But I don't mind. I am still leaning and I like to experiment quite a bit.
