Fresh
Shave - Oct. 31, 2006 11:58 p.m.
Razors
on strike for Water relief
Matthew
Ralph
With the sound of Joe Christmas' "Couple Skate" (remember that song?) blaring on my computer in the other room, I picked up the razor minutes before midnight on Oct. 31 and gave myself one last fresh shave before beginning my contribution to the growing "No Shave November" movement.
I learned about this phenomenon through friends on the Interweb this time last year and ended up going --itching and scratching --without shaving for about 5 and a half weeks.
The origins of the ritual are still being debated, but it seems that it has its roots in a college dormitory. It's debatable whether much proof is needed on that point. Think about it. Where else would something as lazy and irresponsible as celebrating not shaving have it roots?
A quick visit to Wikipedia reveals that attempts at creating official entries on the subject have all been erased so I set out looking for others joining in on the ritual. What I found was an interesting entry on a blog from last November written by a home-schooling parent called the Quiet Life:
"Matthew's room at college (Grace University) is messy.The only thing that indicates that he lives there is his down quilt and his Packer football helmet.
"Matthew's appearance is also very messy. He is not cutting his hair AND he says his dorm is celebrating "No shave November." I hope they have an "All shave December."
Knowing Matthew tho, now that he knows his hairiness bothers me....he will never shave again. And really...I don't have a big problem with long hair on men. He just looks messy."
I have never been a big fan of shaving so the thought of a month devoted to the pasttime suits my tendencies. But as I sat and pondered about it this time around, I got to thinking that there might be a possible deeper purpose to all of this sophomoric nonsense.
Yet, those not so privileged would only hope to be so lucky to drink the clean water we waste on our daily (for some of us anyway) grooming ritual.
According to a BBC report, almost 20 percent of the world's population still lacks access to safe drinking water, a harsh reality that resulted in the deaths of some 3 million people in 2002 from water-borne diseases.
That said, my "No Shave November" this year will not be just about making excuses for why I haven't shaved in weeks. I pledge to donate a dollar a day for every day I don't use clean water flowing from my faucet to shave my face to Water Aid, a UK-based charity that "works in 17 countries providing water, sanitation and hygiene education to some of the world's poorest people."
If you want to join me in supporting this charity and sponsor me in my quest, please visit my easy-to-donate Web site at justgiving.com/noshavenovember. Or if you'd like to go without shaving yourself for charity and want to join forces, e-mail me at matt(at)tangzine.com. I'd love to hear from you and see your before and after photos.
posted [11.01.06]
2002-2005 White Elephant
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