There's A Bear In There

I've been growing my beard out every few days over the past few weeks, causing a bit of a stir in my circles, which in my world are very small. A couple weeks ago, for instance, I got my haircut . My stylist rubbed my chin and exclaimed, "I love it!" The other stylists came over too and surrounded me. They started ooohing and awhhhing. I was the center of attention.

I've been quite surprised with my beard experiment. I had gotten a preview when I took a break from shaving after I got home from the hospital from my broken arm incident. I didn't shave for two weeks because with just one functioning arm, shaving was way too much of a pain.

This time, I've actually left my apartment all scruffy and let my friends see my beard, and the reaction has been more and more admiration. One friend said, "It makes you look so distinguished." Another said, "I love the look on you."

It wasn't till lately that i started liking light beards and scruff on guys. I still maintain that upon first meeting someone, a beard would never improve the face value of a person. It will either cause a neutral or negative effect. But I'm beginning to rethink that. And now I'm trying it out for myself.

My personal feeling about beards, is that if you can't grow an even one, i.e., even thickness on all sides of your face, don't bother. Also, you don't really see beards on Asian guys, and the ones I have seen, I've always thought looked pretty bad or just did nothing to improve the guy. Asians just don't really have the genetics for beards and the hair on their faces tends to grow a little straggly and a little random like moss on a tree--splotchy and spotty.

Luckily, for me, my beard, has been largely hands-off. Just a few days of not shaving and before long, I was on my way to burly beardom. Give me a month, and I'll have a beard that would make Grizzly Adams look on in shame and cause two thirds of ZZ Top to blush with envy.

So I've been growing my hair follicle face kudzu mostly out of laziness. I guess it's been a little bit of a contemplative exercise too. And of course it has come in handy in New York when January came and the cold winter winds whip their little knives right into my skin. I don't have a guy friend's face to worry about scratching either, which I can thank single life for.

The nicest thing about having a beard is that my mornings are a heck of a lot faster now. It's shower, brush teeth and get dressed and go.

I also discovered Beards.org which is where you go when you want to get serious about your beard. The guys there say every guy should grow a full beard at least once in your life. Being a guy myself, I can't argue with that.

My beard after I broke my arm. I'll have to get a more current pic.