To Shave or Not To Shave, that is the question............

There was a time in my life when I could plan at least an entire afternoon or early evening for my personal care.  Most of this time involved the arduous task of shaving.  During my reproductive years it seems that I could grow hair on my head, underarms and legs in an overnight.  My budget for hair removal items seemed to be right up there with my grocery list.  Tacked onto the end of the list was always either (way back when) razor blades or the new disposable razors.  From time to time, I would experiment and try "Nair" or any of those depilatory creams, which by the way , if directions were not followed to the T, would leave a red rash for days.  These beautification episodes usually began  after good tub soaking to soften the skin prior to ridding my body of that thick cultivation of hair.  The shaving process always guaranteed a cut that brought enough bleeding to warrant a band aid or two the remainder of the day or night. In the absence of band aids, a small piece of toilet paper would suffice temporarily. About eight to twelve hours later all those  razor burns would be  followed by a scattering red rash, which, of course, made the wearing of deodorant something to look excruciatingly forward to, if you were a masochist!

Which brings me to some of the advantages of AGING!  I have, to date, not had to shave, or remove any hair from my body for the past two to four months!  Why, you ask?  Because there is no hair there!  In addition to that, the hair on my head has been losing strands at the rate of a dozen or so a day for the past five years.  At that rate, I am hoping to still have a decent strand or two when I hit 100.  I have tried to be optimistic about this disappearance of hair, but that does not help a lot since I have already given up those personal appearances on the beach or any Summer outing that requires shorts or bathing suits.  I guess the good news is that with all that shaving behind, I now have more time to pluck those hairs that have begun to appear in the strangest places.  The eyebrows have gone crazy!  Not a single hair wants to grow in the same direction.  Not only that, I have removed all the gray ones and now that there are only three or four left in each brow, I am beginning to look weird!  Whoopi Goldberg just removed all hers, and it looks good on her.  I have been tempted.............No, not yet.  I am still trying to make my own with the pencil, but that is beginning to look weird too.  And then, what is that on my chin from time to time?  Yep, there it is, another little white whisker.

I spent some time with an old friend recently, one whom I had not seen in a couple of years.  As we were talking, I was distracted by those little white whiskers that were jutting out from her chin.  My mind kept wandering from our conversation because I could not wait to get home, find my magnifying glass and check my chinny, chin, chin.

I have had to accept the fact that my hair follicles are dying, have died or are growing awkwardly as they are trying to survive.  I find myself daily facing the same dilemma:  Do I let them grow at will and become the female Andy Rhooney, recognized post-humously from 60 minutes,  or do I rebel and continue plucking?!

Oh well, much to do after our walk today.  Time to paint the toenails and get ready for sandals!  Red, or pink?  That is the question.

Now, if I can just bend over to do it myself..........................................

Brenda