Regimentation

As I have gotten further into my 'golden years,' I have found that I have to be more careful about things like climbing in and out of the bathtub, driving (especially at night), even just walking or putting on my pants. I think this has carried over into my shaving practices. Although I still enjoy the exploration of new or different shaving gear and the daily variety of my brushes, razors, and software, my shaving practices have become somewhat more rigid. Each day I follow exactly the same routine of setting up, shaving, and cleaning up. I take my SOTD picture around the same time each day. I follow a 28-day schedule of gear combinations, so that each of my brushes gets used in turn. (I even move each brush 'up' one position on the schedule at the beginning of each month.) I hand-wash my shaving towel every Friday, and I also alternate between my two small brush scuttles that same day each week. I don't think it is late development of a form of OCD. Rather I just think that as I age and am increasingly aware of getting closer to the end of my life and the 'great unknown,' I feel a need for the reassurance of regular, relatively unchanging routines. 

So are you a free spirit or a 'micro-manager'?

Free spirit here but I certainly feel the sunset years thing too.

At 7:00 a.m. each morning I'm limp and loose, a true free-spirited shaver. I'm game for any soap, brush, razor, or blade. I shuffle through a dozen soaps trying to decide which is perfect for the day. Variety and more variety is my only system. Bring it all on!

But by 7:00 p.m. I'm jonesing for stability and continuity. I find myself browsing the 3017 threads. I start analyzing my spreadsheet looking for patterns that will point to my one-and-only soap and my one-and-only razor forever and ever. I dream of culling my herd. Cutting back seems comforting. 

I go through this routine every day of the week, regular as a pendulum. That's my surest form of regimentation.

I am in my golden years, and exactly the opposite. After the "discipline" of public school, military school, college and working (50+ yrs), I have become totally reckless and spontaneous. Everyday, the "time is mine" and my choices are based on whatever I am in the mood to experience. I will use an aggressive razor if I have 3 or more days of growth and a mild or medium razor for 1 or 2 days growth. My software choice is determined by my floral, citrus, bay rum, or aventus..."mood". Shaving bowl is determined by brush size, or no bowl for my "shave stick extravaganza".
I still have an anal tendency to clean my hardware after every use, which keeps it in new condition. That is about as disciplined I get. There is zero routine in my life, and I am happy living a totally free lifestyle.

As I have gotten further into my 'golden years,' I have found that I have to be more careful about things like climbing in and out of the bathtub, driving (especially at night), even just walking or putting on my pants. I think this has carried over into my shaving practices. Although I still enjoy the exploration of new or different shaving gear and the daily variety of my brushes, razors, and software, my shaving practices have become somewhat more rigid. Each day I follow exactly the same routine of setting up, shaving, and cleaning up. I take my SOTD picture around the same time each day. I follow a 28-day schedule of gear combinations, so that each of my brushes gets used in turn. (I even move each brush 'up' one position on the schedule at the beginning of each month.) I hand-wash my shaving towel every Friday, and I also alternate between my two small brush scuttles that same day each week. I don't think it is late development of a form of OCD. Rather I just think that as I age and am increasingly aware of getting closer to the end of my life and the 'great unknown,' I feel a need for the reassurance of regular, relatively unchanging routines. 

So are you a free spirit or a 'micro-manager'?

If the volume of the TV is not on an even number I can’t watch TV…. Any Questions?