My Nemesis: My Beard

Adolescent boys, at the tender age of 15, are likely to do stupid things. Like taking a sharp piece of metal to their faces. I had to do it. Even then I had the brains to know that if I shave it, I'll have to continue shaving it for what now seems like the rest of eternity. But, like I said, I had to do it. In a class full of men, I was the only boy left.

Only one day goes by every week when I'm not reminded of the disgusting fact that I have hair follicles on my face. That day is the day after I've shaved. The five other days those hair follicles sprout like they wish they lived on a cactus, leaving me in various levels of discomfort, and attributing to me looks that range from a macho cowboy with sandpaper instead of skin, to It's head from the movie Five children and It. On the seventh day, I give up my battle, retreat, and reach for the razor.

One particular week was particularly horrible. I'd run out of shaving cream. And I'd wanted to buy more. My corner store keeps an account for me, so that I've to pay him only once a month. I kept asking him for Gillette shaving gel, but finally gave up and bought a can of shaving foam and got rid of the horrible growth. I finally slept that night after 3 consecutive nights spent sleeplessly scratching my neck.

Several times, I've been sorely tempted to grow a french beard. But I've had two problems. I still have to shave. Infact I have to shave more often because a french beard looks good only if it is surrounded by bristleless skin. Secondly, the area between my moustache and my beard (right next to my lip) doesn't join properly. So my french beard doesn't look good even when I shave more often :(. So I've abandoned that attempt as many times as I've been tempted.

So why this outcry? I'm on my 7th day today, and I still haven't shaved. It is starting to poke my neck, and I've started scratching my chin, pretending that other people will think that I'm pretending to be Inzamam. It's got to go. Where's that razor...