The Beard

Sometimes I like to write a frivolous blog and this is one of those weeks.  In 2008 I took a two week trip to Ireland because I needed to visit Ireland before I could continue on with my first historical fiction novel – Murphy’s Troubles.  The book is set in the period of Irish history called The Troubles from 1968-98. For some reason I decided I need to be wearing a beard when I went to Ireland.  I really don’t know why or how I felt a beard was necessary.  But I took my whim seriously and grew a full beard in the August heat.  Of course, the beard scratched.  My friends and colleagues at work ridiculed me for growing a beard in August.  “Nobody in Wisconsin grows a beard in August.  We grow beards in November before the gun deer hunting season” they chided me.

I arrived on the emerald isle with a full beard and felt very much at home.  Of course in Ireland in August the temperature is mild and as you would expect it rained several times – my beard felt right.

I thought having a beard would mean not shaving.  Not true.  My full beard would run down my neck to the top of my collarbone which makes me look like a Neanderthal – not the look I was going for.  So, I trim most of my neck and need to shave about every other day.  I also don’t like the natural shape of the beard on my cheeks so I trim it into a nice curve.

Mine is often called an “urban beard” – short and well groomed as my wife likes to say.  My friend Dennis has a man of the wild beard it hangs down a good 12” onto his chest but on Dennis it looks good.  Another friend of mine had a full thick beard most of his adult life and then when he retired decided to shave.  I actually didn’t recognize him the first time I saw him without his beard.  When asked why he shaved he responded, “I have more time to shave now.”

All in all I’ve discovered that keeping a trim beard is much more work than just shaving every day or every other day.  I still shave my cheeks and neck at least every other day plus grooming the beard at least three times a week.  Most of my beard has gone from speckled gray/black to white.  I think the white beard looks good. 

I’m terrified that if I shave off my beard my grandchildren would not recognize me and that would be a tragedy of the first order.  I won’t be shaving off my beard.

So, that’s about all I have to say or could ever say about wearing a beard.