I recently returned from overseas, where I did not shave my face and rather grew out a healthy nearly-full beard. Upon returning to the states, I didn't want to remove my new friend -- after all, I had never gone that long without shaving, and I was excited by this new part of myself that never had existed before. So, I purchased the book
The Bearded Gentleman off Amazon. I haven't finished it yet, nor learned how to best maintain my facial design, nor decided on any particular style that interests me, but I did enjoy the introduction that describes the history of facial hair. One part in particular mentions that William Shakespeare was a fan of beards (if his photo wasn't obvious enough):
"He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man."
One of the best things I am enjoying about my beard is something that I hadn't expected: the wildly diverse set of responses I receive from everyone! Most guys comment on it either way, positive or negative. Some are negative, but mostly I think these folks suggest it needs maintenance. Many are positive -- one guy, in fact, pulled me over at a party to say how jealous he was that I could not only grow such a beard but also have a shiny patch of grey hair. He said if he could grow a beard he would actually dye all his facial hair grey. As for women, I've had almost 100% positive reaction from passing girls that I don't know, and mixed reaction from girls I already know. I am looking forward to finding what this book teaches me about this subject of which I know so little.
This is all part of my New Year's Resolution in 2010 -- watch less movies, read more books. I love movies -- I could watch them every night, and sometimes I have. But I have a huge stack of books awaiting my attention, and as long as I am a slave to my Netflix queue I will never get through them. As such, I suspended my Netflix queue for 90 days and will continue to suspend its reactivation, probably for the rest of this year. I'd rather spend my time understanding better lifting techniques or practicing mindfulness meditation. Or improving my beard!
