A Nice Clean Shave

I was thinking of something that happened to me, well it must be, 15 years now. Gosh, does time fly! I was in my first year of college to become a Registered Nurse and I took a job as a nurse's aid in a local retirement home. It was not a regular nursing home. It was a beautiful mansion and all of the people that lived there entered when they were well and spent the rest of their lives there. Many still drove cars and then as their health deteriorated they were very well taken care of. I look back on this job as one that I learned so much not just for my future career, but for my life! This was an amazing generation of people who had so many meaningful stories to offer from their life experiences.
I began with a group of ten girls. We had a couple of weeks of training and then we were on our own. My first day on my own, I was a nervous wreck! The Nurse that I was working with gave me my assignment for the day. The assignment had a list of people that I would be responsible to help get cleaned up and dressed in the morning, help with meals, help to the bathroom, and to help with activities through out the day. On my list was "Mr. So and So". I had a very nervous stomach and still do for that matter. As I was heading into "Mr. So and So's" room, Nurse Annie said, "Don't forget to shave him. He likes a nice clean shave." Doesn't she know that I can not even shave my own legs with out cutting them, I thought. I tried to talk my way through it as I entered the room.
I kept a smile on and tried to be as cheerful as I could despite how nervous I was. "Mr. So and So" seemed a little cranky during my first impression. His crankiness did not help my nervousness. I explained that I was going to help him get ready for the day and we would start off by shaving. He agreed to it and so I began. I lathered his whole face up. I made pretty big mess with the shaving cream. I think he sensed how nervous I was. I began shaving. I was using his disposable razor. My hands were shaking!. I was so afraid of cutting his face up. I was slow and careful with each stroke. I got through his whole face and I was so proud of myself that I had not seen any blood. I rinsed of his face with a warm face cloth and then I realized what i did. The cap was still on the razor. I had to explain to him and tell him what I did. He was a really good sport and he let me begin again. I did not cut him. I gave him a nice clean shave that day and many more after that. We became great friends.