Thread: Rambling & Random Thoughts on Change

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.