What? I have to Shave?

We went to go get our ID cards the other day. Since we are living in student housing we have to use laundry facilities instead of a washer and dryer (it wouldn’t fit in our apartment anyway, so we sold em). With the laundry facilities we receive a discount if we use the BYU card. Kara automatically gets one and I can get one too. So we went to go get our ID cards, and Kara gets hers first and then I line up to get mine. First thing they say is “They probably didn’t tell you but if you are going to use the facilities you need to follow the same dress and grooming standards as if you were a university student.”

What? Now I really don’t have a problem with this, but I really don’t like to shave. Like really.  Mostly because I hate doing something that I am going to have do again the next day.  But I was more than willing to comply. So I said, “Ok, I’ll go home and shave.”  Nope, they gave me a razor and a can of shaving cream and pointed me in the direction of the bathroom.

By the way, the Wilkinson center was totally packed because it was commencement at BYU that day. People were buying stuff for their grads, grabbing some food, and other things. There was even a graduation going on in the ballroom. So here I come in to the bathroom at the Wilkinson Center with a disposable razor and a can of shaving cream, and the place is full of people. I find an empty sink and with a little smile on my face and a little embarrassment I begin to shave my face. It’s also been like 4 days since I had shaved so the scruff was pretty thick and probably could have used some clippers first, but I had to make due. The other problem was that in this day and age no one likes to touch faucets anymore so every bathroom has these stupid “hands-free” sinks where you just wave your hand in front of them and the water magically flows. This magic sink lasted about 1.5 seconds before shutting off.

Have you ever had to shave thick stubble with a razor? Have you ever had to shave thick stubble with a razor in a public bathroom? What about thick stubble with a razor in a bathroom with 1.5 second intervals of Water? Now make that water ICE cold. It doesn’t really help. It took me about ten minutes to finish the job.

While I was there I did make a friend. A nice special needs guy came up to me and just stared at me while I was shaving. I said “Hi” in the friendliest voice possible and he just looks at me and says “What are you doing?”

“Shaving!” I told him.

“Why?”

“For my ID card?” I replied.

“Didn’t you know the rules before you came?” He asked.

“Yep, but I’m not a student.”

A look of confusion crosses his face. Then he asks “Well why do you have to shave and get an ID card?”

“Well my wife is going to school here….” That’s as far as I got, then he broke in.

“YOU’RE MARRIED?”

I stop shaving, “Yeah?”

He pauses, “Really?” with a look of incredulousness on his face.

“Really.” Is it that hard to believe that I was married? Seriously how bad did I look? Maybe I should shave more often. Maybe he was confusing me with a homeless man or something. I don’t know.

“I’m getting married!” He says with exuberance.

“Awesome!” I respond with the same tone as him.

“Yeah you should come, I’ll send you an invitation.”

“Cool, I’d like that.”

“Cool, I’ll see you at the wedding.”

“See you then.”

And he leaves the restroom.