Relearning a ritual

I had to relearn how to shave my chin today. First time in over four years.

It feels weird. My goatee kept the wind off the lower half of my face, and now I can feel a soft breeze with my chin. I used to just shave the sides of my face and my neck. A few quick straight passes with the razor and I was done. This morning I was forced to remember how to curve the razor around my chin, how to cut the hair without cutting myself. I had never quite understood how much of an memorized ritual shaving was. Now I do, because I had grown out of that habit.

But I managed to not cut the hell out of myself, and I now have a smooth chin for the first time in years. Believe it or not, this is the first time that the Raging Girlfriend has seen me without my goatee. She says that from the side it shows just how much of a babyface I have. Seriously, I couldn't grow a full beard to save my life. Well, not one that looked good, anyways. That'll be a blessing when I'm sixty.

Some people will wonder why the hell I shaved my goatee off, and why I'm talking about it in the first place. That'll tie in.

September 11th is Saturday. The third anniversary of the terrorist attacks that informed quite a few people that we were at war. The third anniversary of the day we were informed that an ocean on either side of this country wasn't enough to protect us.

The day America was attacked, by the same group that had attacked us before, in Yemen, in Saudi Arabia, in Africa.

Some people will write reflective pieces, some people will let out their rage, and some people will ignore it. The morlocks at DU will howl and scream, gloating at America's suffering. Most of us will utter a small prayer and go about our day, thankful that the people who attacked us are either dead or on the run.

Not me. I won't be writing, or letting out my feelings. I won't be going about my normal day. And I won't be forgetting it.

On Saturday, September 11th, I'll be going to my first Army Reserve drill.

I think that's fitting.

And yeah, that's why I took off my goatee. AR 670-1 and all that.