I bought a safety razor a few weeks ago, and it’s going pretty well, even though it felt a bit intimidating at first. Over the years, I’ve tried multiple Gillette variations, cheaper alternatives like BIC as well as several types of electric shavers. The safety razor took a few weeks to get used to, although I feel like I learned quite a bit about the science of shaving, after cutting myself a bunch of times.

Shaving is also a nice little ritual to have in your day. You can’t really rush the process of scraping a super sharp knife over your face, so you have to take care and spend some time on it. My kids are too young that I feel comfortable leaving it within reach, so it’s hidden away in the back of the top shelf, where they can’t get at it. So the ritual becomes taking the razor back out, lathering up, shaving, cleaning and putting it back up. It’s not much, I grant you, but it still feels healthful. More than anything, I suppose it’s a reminder that rituals, however minute, have value in themselves.