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Weekend Off-topic thread
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this post was submitted on 12 Jan 2024
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WetShaving
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This is a community of enthusiasts, hobbyists and artisans who enjoy a traditional wet shave: brush, soap, and safety or straight razor. We are a part of the WetShaving community found on Reddit, Discord, and IRC.
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Oh, that sounds very nice. I actually also enjoy the scent of pipe/cigar tobacco a lot. Given that I used to be an occasional smoker until my consumption of tobacco and nicotine got way higher than I wanted, I actually switched to vaping in October 2022. I haven't smoked a cigarette since December 2022, so it has actually helped me to get off cigs for over a year and switch to a less harmful alternative. I know vaping isn't without it's harmful side effects either, but like your cigars it has turned into somewhat of a hobby for me too. I have lots of gadgets, coils and I still enjoy nicely tasting and smelling tobacco liquids (especially those extracted from real tobacco plants). I am perfectly fine with knowing that I won't get off of nicotine; we're all going to die one way or another and since it gives me enjoyment, I see no reason to quit fully. So continue to enjoy your premium cigars, at least you're off cigarettes 👍🏻
I gave up cigarettes in the late '70s. I am fortunate in that the byproducts of smoking (ash everywhere, tobacco film coating everything, etc.) annoyed me so much that I had personal motivations for quitting that were prioritized over the health benefits. I enjoyed smoking, but became disgusted by everything else about it. This made leaving it pretty easy for me and that's uncommon. I do have some of the same issues with cigar smoking, and am working towards managing them.
I know there are downsides to it, but nicotine does allow you to operate normally in doing typical day-to-day activities. It is quite manageable in that way.
Congrats! Being annoyed by the byproducts of smoking (all my clothes smelt like ashtrays, bad breath, yellow stains on my hands) made me quit in the first place and made the switch to vaping easier. Plus, since I work in nursing, a lot of people positively noted that I don't smell like cold smoke anymore. I hope you're finding some solutions to enjoy your premium cigars without the side issues. My dad, who's also still a heavy smoker, usually smokes cigars in his garage or in the garden during summer. That makes tobacco film less of a concern.
Nicotine, like caffeine, is somewhat of a self-medication for my ADHD. I feel like it helps me focus better and even calms me down sometimes.
You might consider meditation as well. A good introduction to its practical benefits are in the book Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Adoption of this practice is, perhaps, the best self-help I've done.
Thanks for the recommendation, getting back into meditation is definitely on my agenda for 2024 and finding books without esoteric BS is hard 👍🏻
You might want to consider the following no BS meditation books:
I'm unsurprised to see an overlap between meditation and straight razor appreciation. After all, using, honing and stropping my straights are some of my favourite meditations though I still try to keep a more formal practice.
I agree that at some level, the overlap between meditation and straight razor shaving is unsurprising – now that I do it. They combine self-care and skill, and require some dedication to get it – initially, both can seem totally pointless.
But had you asked me 10 years ago before I started doing either, I would have guessed that the overlap between these two activities is essentially 0 (and this may very well be the case; for all I know, there are 3 of us - with @gcgallant@gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social).
Let me just take a break from our habitual absence of politics here, but I would have guessed that meditators would rather come from the Guardian-reading, tofu-eating wokerati crowd, whereas I would have located straight razor shavers among the gun-toting and pick-up driving bunch (preconceptions, I know, but still...).
Then, there's the fact that buddhism forbids its adherents from using not only intoxicating drinks, but also from perfumes, which is one of the great things about wetshaving. I have noticed myself that even small amounts of alcohol degrade the ability to meditate quite considerably, but I have never really tried meditating with and without wearing perfume. Also, mindfulness is rather a side-effect in straight razor shaving than an end in itself.
So, on a more profound level, I do find it a bit surprising. Maybe it's just the latest hipster thing...
I've had conversations with other long-time meditators. It seems that for most of us the practice influences some other activities.
As a member of the boomer crowd [though: not orange, no corset, no diapers, no shoe lifts], I'd get a huge kick out of being identified as member of the tofu-eating wokerati :)
As do I. I've been meditating a long time (over 30 years) and have tried several approaches to the practice. I continue to revert to the simplest form, being mindful of breath, but I can use that practice to be mindful of the moment (being "present" in current vernacular) and this can easily be applied to a variety of activities. Freehand sharpening (including razor honing), and straight razor shaving, are among those for me.