I am constantly looking for ideas to create conflict with my inner delta. I am looking for situations that will bring my deltaness to the surface ...at which point I will wrap my fingers around those thoughts and squeeze. You get the idea.
The other day, I decided to go beard-free. I have either been with beard or goatee for 10 years. I have noticed recently that more and more emasculated men sport the goat, therefore it is time to disassociate myself. In the past I would have just shaved it off, gotten two or three comments, and gone on with life. Not this time. This time I went with the full-blown Elvis sideburns that are two strands of hair short of mutton chops. My purpose was to get reactions from people so I could evaluate how alpha or non-alpha I reacted to these reactions and modify my own reactions as I went.
The first three opportunities, I couldn't shut myself up. I was yabbering on about this being the first time in a decade with a bare chin, and thanks, and other such examples of diarrhea mouth. After the third time, I realized I was in for a fight with my inner delta. I chambered another round and remembered the maxim: when in doubt, shut up. The next couple of comments I waited, then just nodded and said nothing. Then something remarkable happened, something clicked!
Suddenly, the responses I got went from "what-the...?" and "shave it off" to "Elvis!" or "Wolverine!" Now when someone attempts to mention my new appearance in a derogatory tone, I respond in one of two ways. I either give them a sarcastic verbal agree-and-amplify: "I'm glad you like it, I did it JUST for YOU." Or, I pause, look at the intruder, nod and grunt. For the last two weeks, this little shaving exercise has been effective at resetting the different pecking orders I am in.
To get out of a rut sometimes one must turn the wheel and step on the gas. If anyone has other suggestions to locate and strangle my delicate inner delta, fire away.
- DJ
