Wednesday, July 2, 2008

A Close Shave, WHEW!


Way too many years ago, I was a little boy watching my father shave. He would put a little water in a shaving cup and take out his brush and work up a good lather as he had seen his father do a generation before. Then it was time to sharpen his razor, a dangerous weapon that I was instructed NEVER to touch, years before. I took heed to that warning after seeing the damage that thing could do on my own father's face, as it was decorated with tiny pieces of toilet paper, the only cure for a shaving nick in those days.

About 10 years went by and pretty soon I myself was finally ready to shave. The old system was obsolete and a new company named Gillette was all the rage at the local drug store for shaving needs. I don't recall the name of the first cartridge blade that was set in it's own safety environment, but maybe someone out there recalls it. You either used Gillette or Schick, but you never used both. Just like you were either a Chevy man of a Ford man, you didn't switch back and forth. Me being a Gillette guy, I was allowed to use Rightguard for deodorant, Rightguard being a Gillette product, got it?

Then Gillette came out with the double safety blade and I was happy to use that for the duration of my shaving years, which by the way seem like forever. Last year I bought a 25 pack at Costco and they seemed to last me the entire year or even longer. With my new lenient schedule and of course the mandatory retirement of 05, I just don't seem to shave everyday anymore. A month ago, I went to Costco and didn't even see the double blade razors anymore. Confused, I called Barry, my friend from many years ago. He was not only my age, but also a Costco shopper. I phoned him in Florida and asked where he buys his double blade razors and he replied, Costco but they don't always have them. You have to watch for them. I watched and watched and watched some more, no double blade cartridges. Finally today, desperate, I stood there with a confused look on my face and even considered buying woman's blades if they had doubles, but they didn't. They have triple disposable razors which everyone knows to stay away from and they have the new Fusion blades that have, ready? Five blades on each cartridge, 5 of the mothers! Gillette sent me one in the mail a few months ago and it lasted forever. It lasted so long that I got tired of it, although I do have the handle left for one. Those Fusion blades were about $50 with tax. With a tear forming in my eye's corner, I took the $50 Fusion blades and put them into my cart when an older man about 80 walked up and he looked as confused as me, a month earlier. As I passed him he said audibly, no double blade razors??? When he said that, a million things went through my mind that I wanted to tell him, but all I said was, no just the five blade cartridges for $50. His voice rose at least an octave and he looked me right in the eye and said, Are you NUTS? Kind of what my own father would have said!

Mel
7/02/08

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