Member
Idaho Falls, Idaho
(This post was last modified: 06-20-2019, 01:07 PM by Lipripper660.)
I had a friend ask me today " when was the last time you experienced true joy". I'll get to that in a while but her question made me think about this shaving habit and if it brings me true joy. I have a cabinet under the vanity that is loaded with soaps of all kinds from all sorts of makers all over the globe. I have a garage fridge (because I'm not afraid of conspicuous consumption) that has two crisper drawers full of additional soaps that act as the holding pen for soaps leaving rotation and being replaced by others coming in. I've got so many that some of them only make appearance for a week or two a year. In fact if I was to use each one equally they would only see a brush twice per year. I have at last count three dozen brushes of restored vintage,ll commercial artisan, and self-made origin. They wear all sorts of knots of all sorts of sizes. I have razors measured by the pounds both vintage and modern, single and double and straight. I have fragrances of all families, cheap and expensive, but all glorious to me. I figure I might own more shaving gear than all the Darrington men before me combined. But does this cornucopia of shaving kit bring me true joy?
But back to the question asked: " when was the last time you experienced true joy?" The word "true" adds weighty importance to the question it seems, and as I thought, instantly I knew the answer. There is not a day goes by that I don't choose to experience true joy. On Father's Day I left my home in the dark dragging a drift boat to go fishing with my oldest son. I drove into an amazing sunrise that set my soul flying. A bit later I watched as the swing of the fly rod melted the stress from my over-burdened son. On Monday I picked up a large P.O. from a new client I have been working to land for over a year. Can business bring true joy? Yes sir, it can. Last night I volunteered to tend 5 grand daughters ages 9 to 2 so all the parents could have a game night. The sleep-over was glorious and true joy. Today I watched a grand daughter find her inner-hitter at her baseball game. She went 3 for 3 at the plate and understood that her old grandpa might know a thing or two about swinging a bat. To watch her formerly anxious stance and subsequent trip back to the dugout transform into fist pumps and new found confidence brought a truckload of joy. I lost my mom this year and 6 weeks later my Pop followed. Sure it sucked but there were so many memories that between bouts of tears my siblings and I reminisced and laughed and found our joy right in the middle of crushing heartache. I find true joy in really small things too. My sons dog Banjo thinks I'm better than cheese treats and it brings me joy to spend just a bit of time with him and it makes him so happy.
So how about the shave stuff? Do I find joy in it? Well, what was a chore has become a respite in my stressful day. A time to focus and prep and plan for the "big stuff". I like my soaps. I mean I really like them for many and various reasons. I like my brushes and razors but honestly could still get my zen on with a puck of tabac, a cheap omega boar, and my Gillette new. But these things are touchstones to joyous moments. Every time I use Cade I will hear the words written by Bouki and recall the images he paints as he writes about his soap of the day. Every time I wield the Gillette New I'm reminded of the lunch I shared in Texas with a favorite client and friend immediately following my finding it in a small shop. Every time I use my 10066 Omega I think of the stuff Nick Shaves taught all of us and although I never met him his channel brought me the joy I find I learning new things. I think of others on this forum who helped me find new scents and soaps (and Nero I think half my den passed thought yours first). I realize that the stuff doesn't bring me joy at all. Happiness? Yep, I suppose so. But for me true joy in this hobby comes from the people and the learning of new things. I'm not planning on dumping everything but tabac, omega, New. In fact I'm guessing I'll still pick up some more stuff because I find joy in giving razors and brushes and soaps away to friends and family. It's all about the people. Thanks DFS family. Hope to be around for a couple more decades.
But back to the question asked: " when was the last time you experienced true joy?" The word "true" adds weighty importance to the question it seems, and as I thought, instantly I knew the answer. There is not a day goes by that I don't choose to experience true joy. On Father's Day I left my home in the dark dragging a drift boat to go fishing with my oldest son. I drove into an amazing sunrise that set my soul flying. A bit later I watched as the swing of the fly rod melted the stress from my over-burdened son. On Monday I picked up a large P.O. from a new client I have been working to land for over a year. Can business bring true joy? Yes sir, it can. Last night I volunteered to tend 5 grand daughters ages 9 to 2 so all the parents could have a game night. The sleep-over was glorious and true joy. Today I watched a grand daughter find her inner-hitter at her baseball game. She went 3 for 3 at the plate and understood that her old grandpa might know a thing or two about swinging a bat. To watch her formerly anxious stance and subsequent trip back to the dugout transform into fist pumps and new found confidence brought a truckload of joy. I lost my mom this year and 6 weeks later my Pop followed. Sure it sucked but there were so many memories that between bouts of tears my siblings and I reminisced and laughed and found our joy right in the middle of crushing heartache. I find true joy in really small things too. My sons dog Banjo thinks I'm better than cheese treats and it brings me joy to spend just a bit of time with him and it makes him so happy.
So how about the shave stuff? Do I find joy in it? Well, what was a chore has become a respite in my stressful day. A time to focus and prep and plan for the "big stuff". I like my soaps. I mean I really like them for many and various reasons. I like my brushes and razors but honestly could still get my zen on with a puck of tabac, a cheap omega boar, and my Gillette new. But these things are touchstones to joyous moments. Every time I use Cade I will hear the words written by Bouki and recall the images he paints as he writes about his soap of the day. Every time I wield the Gillette New I'm reminded of the lunch I shared in Texas with a favorite client and friend immediately following my finding it in a small shop. Every time I use my 10066 Omega I think of the stuff Nick Shaves taught all of us and although I never met him his channel brought me the joy I find I learning new things. I think of others on this forum who helped me find new scents and soaps (and Nero I think half my den passed thought yours first). I realize that the stuff doesn't bring me joy at all. Happiness? Yep, I suppose so. But for me true joy in this hobby comes from the people and the learning of new things. I'm not planning on dumping everything but tabac, omega, New. In fact I'm guessing I'll still pick up some more stuff because I find joy in giving razors and brushes and soaps away to friends and family. It's all about the people. Thanks DFS family. Hope to be around for a couple more decades.
