The face of our times

Ethan is shaving again and I can't recognize him. It's like those moments in TV or the movies when the sound gets slightly off from the picture and you can't bear to look at the actor when things don't quite match up. It's too jarring for your impression of the world. This is what his face is like to me right now. I either stare in disturbed fascination or keep my gaze away, especially when he talks. It's not the right face for the voice. I realize how silly this is as a problem but despite that I can't just "get over it" (although I'm trying to stare more and get used to it). In the fall it was the presence of the beard which, having seen it before, I could manage even if it took a few days to get used to it and a couple of weeks to like it. And then one day it was gone, down to a very giant goatee for a day (which I have also seen before on a smaller scale). And then the next day it was a little mustache (which I've never seen before) that frightens me with its earnestness. I think it will be gone soon and if it isn't I'm sure I'll adapt. It changes his profile so much that the only time I see my Ethan under it is when there's some exaggerated expression afoot that shows me the same bone structure and muscle patterns and whatnot. Silliness, I know. But real.