Marlow's Musings 2/4/24
Insights, adventures and fun stuff from this week.
Audio narration by David Marlow
Every Wednesday morning, it was the same thing. All junior enlisted Marines were required to arrive 30 minutes early to stand for inspection.
You couldn’t pass without a fresh haircut, pressed uniforms, and shined boots. While failure meant extra duty, passing meant standing it again the following Wednesday. Unless you received an outstanding.
To get outstanding, you had to have boots that were shiny enough the inspector could see his reflection and a flawless shave.
An outstanding rating meant you didn’t have to stand an inspection the following week.
I always got outstanding.
The Streak
Our boots were for working. Keeping a perfect shine was almost impossible.
I’m always looking for a better way, and early on learned that if you warmed the shoe wax, it would flow into the leather grain and create a smooth base surface.
My boots had at least 13 layers of wax at all times, so touching them up every week took me only a few minutes.
I have a pair that are over 30 years old in my closet that I could still spit shine in three minutes right now, and you’d be able to see yourself in them.
You couldn’t game the shave, however. It meant a blade shave as close to inspection time as possible.
A Thirty-Five-Year Streak
In July of 1987, Corporal Marlow became Sergeant Marlow and no longer had to stand inspection.
Which meant I could start using an electric razor.
Electric razors are convenient, though they don’t provide a close enough shave to meet Marine Corps inspection standards.
They also can cause skin irritation, so to avoid irritation, it is recommended to use a pre-shave lotion with electric razors.
That’s where this story begins.
I had used the same lotion for most of the prior 35 years. While others are on the market, I had no reason to switch. It had worked well for me and was relatively inexpensive and readily available.
For some reason, the product I’ve used all these years is no longer available. You can buy some of the remaining bottles from eBay for as much as ten times the price.
Instead of paying more for the dwindling supply, I decided to try something new, and guess what?
It’s better! Not a little better. My shave is flawless. It’s as close as shaving with a blade razor.
The new lotion is more expensive and worth it. Even if the company starts making my original lotion again, I’ll never go back.
We can easily get caught in the tyranny of existing practices, habits, products, or behaviors.
We see it in business all the time. Why did Blockbuster not respond to Netflix? Because they already had a system in place and all those stores. They were trapped by what already existed.
We get that way in our own lives as well.
It is good to occasionally ask ourselves…
📌 If we weren’t already doing it this way, would this be the way we would do it?
I was forced to ask that with my shaving lotion.
By not doing it proactively, I missed out on learning about the new and better lotion years ago.
This is not about shaving lotion.
Word of the Week
Tradition (n.)
tra·di·tion /trəˈdiSHən/
1: a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time.
2: an artistic or literary method or style established by an artist, writer, or movement, and subsequently followed by others.
3: the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation or the fact of being passed on in this way.
While most meanings dating from the 14th century forward speak of giving or passing down, one of the root meanings in the Latin tradition speaks to "a delivering up, surrender, a giving up.’
Two things to consider.
Anne Lamott’s view of ritual and tradition.
“I love ritual and repetition. Without them, I would be a balloon with a slow leak.”
And what G.K. Chesterton1 warned.
“Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead.”
In case you missed it…
Earlier this week’s Ikigai Thought for Today was on Answers in the Questions.
Imagine yourself sitting quietly by the creek in the photo, the only sound made by the water flowing past the rocks.
Next, take a moment to focus on your breathing, relaxing, and centering on being present.
🌀 Then, begin your reflection by considering these questions…
Ikiquest+
This week’s Coffee Contemplation for Ikiquest+ subscribers was about not settling for any life that isn’t real.
Accept no substitutes!
This one was again all audio with the transcript available for reading.
Ikiquest+ subscribers can check it out here.
Comment of the Week:
This week’s comment comes from Matt on something I shared in the Notes section.
Here is what I shared…
Whenever I have a question regarding aesthetics, I consult my local apiarist. Because beauty is in the eye of the bee holder.
And this was Matt's reaction.
Can we start writing ‘gol’(groaned out loud) instead of ‘lol’? 😉
Yes, that is a particularly egregious ‘Dad’ joke, but then, being a grandfather, I’m an advanced ‘dad.’
I bring it up because I’ve been having some fun sharing quips, anecdotes, questions, and, yes, even the occasional bad dad jokes in Notes.
The reaction has been surprising as it generates more comments and conversation than the articles. You can set a notification to be alerted when something is posted in notes. Please DO NOT do that. We don’t need any more notifications and distractions in our lives.
What I will invite you to do is check it out once in a while and join in the fun even if all you do is groan out loud.
Quote I’m Pondering
This thought is from Thomas Aquinas2…
"Man cannot live without joy; therefore, when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures."
When we are living outside the life we were meant to be living, we are drawn into doing other things—many times, lots of things, trying desperately to fill that void.
Interesting Thing I Saw This Week
Ever wonder what new and interesting things are going on around you?
NearbyWiki.org is a map you can use to find places nearby with their own Wikipedia page.
As you can see in the image, even in my small village in Wisconsin, many fascinating things are nearby. I have seen several of the houses highlighted here, of course, but I had no idea they were on the National Historic Register or the intriguing history of each.
You might find something fascinating you never knew existed right in your backyard or at least next to it.
Final Thoughts
Tradition, ritual, and even using the same pre-electric shave lotion are all wonderful ways to enrich our lives…until they don’t.
Let’s call it the tyranny of the existing.
Ian Palmer is the Managing Director of InchDairnie (Inch dare knee), a Scotch Distiller. Making Scotch is one of the most tradition-bound practices in the world. While leading his company in a business comeback, Palmer said something that applies here.
“We respect the traditions but will not be held back by them.”
Which brings us back to the question I asked in the beginning. Ask yourself, “If I wasn’t already doing it this way, would this be how I would do it?”
Quest well
The full Chesterton quote…“Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to that arrogant oligarchy who merely happen to be walking around.”
Summa Theologica, II-II, question 35, article 4, reply 2, "Gilby translation."
This is so beautiful David! Wonderful storytelling, hope the two of you enjoy those truffles and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day.
Great relatable points David! So many to work from....like tradition as with your inspection the tradition allows for outstanding which drives people to excellence without being rigid. Thank you for noting St. Thomas Aquinas on joy and also the Summa Theologica where Faith meets reason and in the end our intelligence is limited compared to the Divine and only with Faith can we take the next steps. Final thought is with regards to Blockbuster and Netflix we should always be curious and try to get better every day and not be comfortable and complacent. Grandchildren will shine the light on that as well...got a few myself! Peace and Joy