Yesterday, I encountered a fellow who had been growing his beard for nearly three & a half years. He said that he had thrown away his razor the day he got out of the Army. That is approximately the same amount of time that I've had my whiskers, after being cleanshaven for Objective FINNLAND & Objective ZED ALPHA in the summer of '10. My beard has not been allowed to flourish with the wild abandon of this fellow's, but we both agreed with this sentiment: I'm never going back. We live in an age in which whiskers are again fashionable & I know only too well that many of the whiskers I see about will disappear as soon as the fad fades, but I know also that these years of bearded plenty are opening the eyes of many a man to the virtues of bewhiskered living.
The encounter stoked my enthusiasm for the next iteration of the Banzai Beard Bonanza, the Year of the Beard. (Once I decided to stay bewhiskered, the B.B.B. III: Third Time's the Harm & the B.B.B. IV: Four for Forty became unnecessary & were cancelled.) The plan: shave the beard on 1 January of a given year & do not shave again until 1 January of the following year. The exact protocols have not been devised, regarding issues such as the shaving of my cheeks, which is part of my current beard regime, & whether to shave the moustache at the same time or leave it intact throughout. The Year of the Beard would produce a year beard, or "yeard." More fun than near beer, it's the year beard! But that awaits sometime in the undiscovered future.
The fellow, a restaurant worker, intimated that his boss had suggested he tame his beard, but stated his refusal, claiming that he'd loss his job before taming his beard. Recklessness? Undoubtedly, yet I can still respect that kind of commitment to vague, unarticulated principle. What is life without a little recklessness?
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Vampire Weekend, "Unbelievers" from Modern Vampires of the City (T.L.A.M.)
Note to self: "Bewhiskered living" is a delightful turn of phrase. Make frequent use of it.
2 comments:
That dude needs this: http://jefffsbeardboard.yuku.com/topic/12074/Using-hair-pins-to-roll-up-a-goatee#.UuAXExAo6Ht
What a wonderful world in which we live that there exist online resources to address just this sticky wicket. I thank ye, "beard."
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