Kaonashi Ga Suki

I was inspired to write about this after reading Marvo’s review of a razor. Incidentally, if you guys haven’t yet, check out Marvo’s blog some time. He does an awesome and witty job of reviewing products.

Anyway, because of his review, I thought of the first time that I shaved my legs.

Let’s go back in time to 6th grade, which was already junior high for me…

BUH-BLEEP! BUH-BLEEP! BUH-BLEEP! BUH-BLEEP!

What? you say time traveling music doesn’t sound like that? Eh, it’s my story. Let me tell it how I want it.

Ok, so I was waiting for my grandpa to pick me up from school. I was sitting on the grass with a friend of mine when I noticed that her legs looked very stubbly. She told me that she shaves her legs. Suddenly she seemed older, more mature than me. I wanted to shave my legs too.

Of course my parents were against it.

“No! Are you crazy? What’s there to shave? You don’t have any hair on your legs. You’re a girl,” they said. “Besides, don’t you know that the hair will just grow thicker the next time? It’ll be a never ending cyle.”

I listened to them for the time being. After all, I didn’t want more hair to grow. And like they said, certainly I don’t have that much hair on my legs anyways.

Fast forward to high school, sometime during sophomore or junior year…

BUH-BLEEP! BUH-BLEEP! BUH-BLEEP! BUH-BLEEP!

Lunch time had ended, and I was standing outside my classroom waiting for the teacher to come and let us in. Although I don’t consider myself a fashonista, I thought I looked spiffy that day. I was rockin’ a sort of pseudo-Australian prairie look: white button shirt tied at the waist, a full, long, green skirt that went past my knees and stopped at the calf, and sandals. Yeah, I was stylin’ all right *rolls eyes*

As I stood there waiting for the teacher, I happened to glance down and noticed my legs peeking under the skirt. That’s when reality hit me in the face.

My legs were hairy.

Not Chewbacca hairy, but hairy enough for me.

I might as well have been my dad or brother weaing a skirt with those legs.

Ok ok, it wasn’t nearly as hairy as a man’s leg, but to me, it was hairy enough. I was so embarrassed. What the hell was I thinking weaing a skirt with such hairy legs? I suddenly felt self conscious and decided that the time had come to start shaving my legs.

I don’t recall buying shaving gel for my first shave since I didn’t know what shaving gel was. I recall buying disposable razors and lathering up with soap. Yeah, I know- Ouch. Razorburn! But actually, it wasn’t so bad. And lo and behold, my legs were hair-free! I mentioned it to my parents some time later, and of course they weren’t too crazy about it.

“Oh no. Now it’s going to grow back thicker than before.” they warned.

Meh. A small price to pay for having smooth legs. Besides, 12 years have passed since my first shave, and I can tell ya that the hair did not grow thicker. I thank my Asian heritage for that.