The Simplest of Acts

It is often the simplest of acts that can be the most dangerous – walking the dog, catching a football, or drinking a coffee. On Thursday morning for me it was the morning shave. While Eric and I arrived safely on our flights from Hong Kong through Heathrow, and more or less on time, but one of my bags was not as lucky. As our innkeeper said, “your bag needed a vacation, too.” Unfortunately, that bag contained my toiletries, most of my clothes, and a few other essentials.

After a day without brushing my teeth and any meaningful personal hygiene, I could wait no longer. We went to the local supermarket and emerged with many products. Returning to the hotel at about 10am, I was determined to quickly clean up while Eric waited on the street for our day to really begin. Dashing into our room, I set about cleaning up. Toothbrush. Paste. Razor. Cream. Deodorant.

I think I have become spoiled with triple-blade technology, hi-tech coatings, and the manicure handles of modern razors for when I opened up the old Bic and began to swipe away I met with a sad outcome. I knew instantly from the pain that there was soon to be blood and a great deal of it. In the matter of half a second, I had scarred all of the photos that would emerge from this trip by creating a dime-sized wound on my upper lip.

The inventor of the band-aid did a wonderful thing. I can’t remember his name, but I have read about him before. I’ve read how he took a piece of gauze and some cotton and created a product which few thought had potential at the time. I am forever in his debt, although on this particular day, I was not feeling much warmth towards the healing invention. For when your upper lip is clad in an enormous skin, but not too skin-colored, latex rectangle, it’s hard to think about anything other than how much of a freak you look like.

But the nice thing about starting a day with a good dose of self-mutilation is that there are few places to go but up. And up we went. Through the streets and paths that led up to the castles of Sintra.