The Absent Uncle: Shaving

You know how sometimes you are doing just the most common thing and it stirs a memory you have totally forgotten. It can be good or bad – this time it was really good.

While I was switching shaving devices this morning, it reminded me of my very first shaving experience. I had joined the Navy and prior to joining, I never felt or saw the need to shave. I had no real facial hair to worry about. 

But arrival at boot camp, and after being told about inspections, infractions, punishments, and hearing some of the ugliest rumors, I was sure that I better get into this shaving thing. We were allowed a visit to the recruit store (limited availability of anything), but I found a can of Barbasol shaving crème, a Schick injector razor, and a supply of razors to fit it. 

Proud as could be, I asked another recruit (who had a definite need to shave) the in’s and out’s of this shaving thing. I confessed my ignorance but professed my fear of failing inspections. He checked out my growth and advised me the best way forward. 

It must have worked. I would put on the crème and carefully use the razor to scrape away the almost invisible facial hair. Additionally – I never cut myself! I watched with horror the number of other sailors who were using styptic pencils (I bought one later just in case) to stop the bleeding on their faces to avoid blood stains on their uniforms (another infraction). 

And I passed every inspection! 

After about four weeks, my shaving instructor advised me that if I hadn’t changed blades yet, that it was probably time. I hadn’t. So, he showed me how this particular razor’s blades were changed. 

I inserted the refill arm into the razor and pushed a new blade into place while it pushed the old worn-out blade out of the razor.

Imagine my (our) surprise when a soggy piece of cardboard was pushed out! No blade had been in the razor.  

It is pretty hard to keep anything a secret in a recruit barracks and my shaving instructor and myself came into a bit of razzing; he, for claiming his teaching technique had given me a perfect inspection record and no cuts; me, for shaving with cardboard.

My shaving experiences soon matched my fellow sailors’ results; that styptic pencil was in use as I shaved that non-existent facial hair and continued to pass inspections.

As I shaved this morning, I just had to laugh at that memory.