Maybe The Beard Ought To Go

Bill and Ted would have liked the prior post because I quoted “So Crates” throughout it but I don’t think we’ll do that today.

Picked Tolstoy to start with because I am clean shaven for the first time in five years. Can’t say it was an intentional move though I have played around with it.

Nah, this time I didn’t like how I trimmed my beard so I shrugged my shoulders and said to my reflection, “maybe the beard ought to go.”

He didn’t disagree and so I did as I suggested and now my cheek feels familiar but different.

No one in my office has seen me clean shaven in person though one or two have said I ought to update my LinkedIn profile picture as they think I look quite different.

That picture came from a photo shoot I was part of when I worked here in 2013 so it is about 11 years old now. I don’t think I look particularly younger there or older now so I don’t feel like anyone is being fooled.

The dog certainly didn’t care, he took one look at me and wagged his tale. Didn’t get up off of the bed to sniff me not that is particularly significant.

You Don’t Smell Like Daddy

My niece is 22 now heading towards 23, soon to be a college graduate and a member of the working world.

When she was about three or so she fell asleep in my lap and for a while I let her rest. Eventually I carried her to bed and she woke long enough to mutter in my ear, “you don’t smell like daddy.”

Reminds me that I missed a good opportunity to tell my brother-in-law that his daughter thought he stunk. That also reminds me of a time her mother took a moment to ask our father if he was trying to kill us.

Why?

Because our old man expelled something that could have been classified as a biological weapon. I have to admit that I laughed with him when my sister complained.

That is what you do with little sisters.

Her oldest son once asked me if I had any particular tricks I used on his mother when we were little. I told him that a good big brother might walk into his little sister’s room and make leave a special scented memory.

Hell, I might of told one or two of the guys she used to date that she thought “farting” was funny and that she would get a kick out of it.

I didn’t mention they would probably be one who got the kick but if I wasn’t a fan I saw my role as helping to move them along their path in life.

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I think the last time I was clean shaven like this was after my father’s unveiling. I hadn’t shaved during the time from his death to then and it was the right time to shave.

Not just because of Jewish tradition but because I needed to signify some changes.

I went into his closet and smelled some of his clothes to see if any still had his scent. I don’t recall any one of them really doing it for me.

But certain colognes and certain moments bring it back for me.

Scents are powerful reminders of memory and there have been moments where I tried to drown myself in the smell so I could relive a moment.

May I add as a public service announcement to men that if you stick your nose in a woman’s neck it can make for an awkward moment if she doesn’t want you there.

If you really want to make it fun tell her that her perfume reminds you of your grandmother as does her shoes.

She’ll likely be thrilled that you think she matches up to such an important woman in your life. Try it and tell me how it goes in the comments.

Your Fancy New Shoes

Amazon has a service called Try Before You Buy that I decided to use.

I order a pair of fancy new dress sneakers for work.

It is rare for me to order shoes online because my feet are large and extra wide and it is hard to find pairs that fit me.

So unless I have experience with a particular brand and model I won’t buy anything I can’t try on first. I let go of this practice and bought a pair online last year that were on sale.

The price was great but the fit was lackluster and that is being kind so I returned them for a refund.

This program got my attention because I don’t have to put any money out unless I decide to keep them. So in a day or two they’ll arrive and I’ll figure out if my ancy new dress sneakers can take me on some adventures.

You never know the places you’ll go, especially with a old new clean shaven face. Without the beard I have very little gray hair and I didn’t have that much with it.

Can’t say that I think I look younger but maybe the office folks will think so. Doesn’t matter if they do or not. I won’t stay clean shaven or grow it back based upon what they say.

It’s just curiosity on my part.

That reminds me, I am curious as to when I am going to go completely gray. Not in any rush, it will happen when it does but I do wonder how much longer I get to keep all that black hair.

If it is white maybe it will blend better with the sink and I won’t have to worry about cleaning it the same way.

For now, you can’t miss it and so goes the revolution.