Rambling & Random Thoughts on Change

[JimmyHAD]

Twenty five years ago I was listening to a motivational speaker on overcoming resistance to change. One example of his that I recall was if you don't think you're resistant to change take a different route to work in the morning. I tend to be a creature of habit but I do like to try new things and I suppose if that wasn't the case I'd still be shaving with a Gillette 'Good News' disposable.

I cook myself one egg every morning and have for years. Sautéed in butter, over easy, so that the yolk is runny while the white is firm. I mop this up with a toasted bagel, usually sesame, topped with a tea spoon of olive oil. Every now and then the yolk breaks as I drop the egg in the frying pan and I scramble it with a fork right in the pan.

A couple of weeks ago I started scrambling the egg in a bowl and then whipping it up in the pan for soft scrambled eggs. I liked it so much that I began doing that daily instead of the over easy. Within a few days I had changed that to folding the egg omelet style, eating it with the bagel as a sandwich, and I've been doing that ever since. Seems to be my new default until I get a notion to change again.

Brings me to lathering. I have been using a brush and soap for around 35 years. I started with a silver tip I bought at Hoffritz and the usual Old Spice or Williams soap. For years I lathered on a bar of Dove soap and face lathered. I changed that four years ago when I began reading shaving forums and using a DE again after a couple of decades of the disposable.

I got some high end brushes, soaps and creams and eventually changed from the face lathering to whipping it up in a bowl and found it to be better for my particular routine. This went on for the last four years up until a month or so ago when a new innovation came along for me. I don't remember who it was who posted it but the topic was on lathering and multiple passes.

The fellow who explained multiple passes to me to begin with said that he lathered, did a pass, rinsed and re-lathered. So I always followed that procedure. In the thread I was reading a fellow said that he didn't rinse between passes but simply re-lathered. Made enough of an impression on me to give it a try and I discovered that I prefer the lather without the rinse in between. Saves time and seems to stick a little better. For now it is the new default.

Now I am in the midst of changing my stropping habits thanks to AFDavis11's thread on slack in a loom strop. I had found a routine that worked for me and have been sticking with it for the past couple of years. So for the past few days I've been fooling around with not pulling the hanging strop quite as tight and today since reading Alan's latest post in that thread I will play with more pressure and then less on a razor that could use a bit more keenness and see what happens.

I really appreciate innovators. I know of a couple of gentlemen who have well deserved reputations for their skills in honing razors to superlative edges. They both use the Norton stones that they learned with years ago. OTOH, there are the innovators, Lynn Abrams being a great example, who push the envelope, trying new stones, stropping materials and compounds. He is an innovator and is constantly searching for the ultimate edge and new ways to get there. There is something to be said for the "if it works don't fix it" school of thought but thank God for the innovators who aren't satisfied with the status quo even if it is working. Keeps life interesting.

[Stubear]

Darn right!

I've always said, if you try something and it works, keep doing it, even if it goes against the status quo.

Certain things, like my route to work, tend to stay the same just out of convenience. I've got it so I can pretty much sleep walk right in the door..! Hehe!

But I love to experiment with other things. I'm always trying different things when I cook, and also when I play guitar. I've found some of my best sounding ideas by doing things a little bit differently. A song I'm writing at the moment has the clean chords tapped out on the fingerboard rather than using a plectrum, and this gives it a really bubbly sound very different to what you usually hear.

One of the shooting coaches at Bisley actually showed me a really easy way of hitting incoming birds that are flurrying left and right. Just drop your shoulder as you swing towards the bird, it makes the swing smoother and you can swing much further before you have to move your feet. Simple idea, but by golly it works!

I'm always tweaking my shaving as well. I didnt use to strop after the shave, now I do, largely due to your advice actually Jimmy! I put more work into my lathering of late and now I prefer soaps to creams, when I used to prefer it the other way round due to ease of lathering.

Inspired by Lynn's videos at the '09 convention, I experimented with circles on the 8k and 16k Shaptons, with great results. I also started mixing up diamond and CrOx as finishers rather than relying on just one.

All of these shaving ideas came from reading peoples posts here on SRP, people with far more skill and knowledge than me. Thats why I love this place, we can all spark ideas off each other and end up with some really great results!

There are some real innovators out there, it must be said. Lynns experimentation with the hones and strop materials, Glen using brass tumblers to polish razors up, guys like Del1r1um using water cutters to make blanks, not to mention all the custom makers like Bill Ellis, Philadelph and Buddel... The list goes on and on. Its really inspiring to read through this forum. The talent, knowledge and skill on display here never fails to amaze me.

Great post, thanks for sharing!

[holli4pirating]

I couldn't agree with you more, Jimmy. I try to encourage everyone to experiment more and ask questions less. If you don't know how many passes to do or your hone, try and see. If you don't know how to hang your strop, try and see. If you don't know which of your hones works best, try and see. Shaving, as with all things that are based on personal preference/personal success, is all about finding what works for you, and only YOU can do that.

I loved the little eggs story, btw.

[Joed]

In my younger days and up to a few years ago I was a big proponent of change. Every day was a new day and that meant a new approach to the same routine. Different routes to work, different ways of cooking the same things, different wake up routine and so on. Then something changed and I guess I didn't like it or I observed change in a negative light. I don't really know what it was but it changed me. Now I am satisfied with no brainers like the route to work and my wake up routine. There still is change in my life but I limit it to items and situations that cause discomfort or undue challenges w/ little or no return. I am finding that it is very difficult to keep thinks from changing and that in itself caused discomfort or challenges. I guess there's no winning for loosing.

That said, I still change a lot of what I do especially when it comes to razors and restores. My thoughts are arraigned in pictures not flow charts or paragraphs or other memory styles. I guess I store these pictures in the back of my mind and study them w/o conscious effort. Suddenly and w/o warning I will find a picture needs changing because parts of the image don't fit. I have found some of my greatest achievements in this manor.

As much as I have comfort in my honing, stropping and shaving routines I will not hesitate to 'change' my method if my 'pictures' reveal a better way or someone's suggestions fit the picture better that it exists today.

One of the big companies I worked for was pushing the idea that the only thing constant is change. Gotta say that I find this to be true even though it makes a lot of people feel insecure. I also find I am happier when I am flexible and not resisting change.

[HNSB]

thank God for the innovators who aren't satisfied with the status quo even if it is working. Keeps life interesting.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I just have to wonder about people like myself, who live by "If it ain't broke, I'll find a way to break it!"
Seriously. I could screw up making a glass of water.

Thank goodness for the people that do useful experimentation.