The Random Comic Strip

The Random Comic Strip

Words to live by...

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and to rest afterward."

[Spanish Proverb]

Ius luxuriae publice datum est

(The right to looseness has been officially given)

"Everyone carries a part of society on his shoulders," wrote Ludwig von Mises, "no one is relieved of his share of responsibility by others. And no one can find a safe way for himself if society is sweeping towards destruction. Therefore everyone, in his own interest, must thrust himself vigorously into the intellectual battle."

Apparently, the crossword puzzle that disappeared from the blog, came back.


Monday, June 17, 2013

Mulling Over Facial Hair


As my picture shows, I sport a goatee. I have worn beards, with a few periods of not, since shortly after I left the Navy at age 23 (late 1969). I say shortly because beards were not permitted at the time I served. Moustaches had to be permitted after one requested one through a "chit." What a"chit" is is unimportant. I had grown a moustache during my last WesPac (trip to the Tonkin Gulf and other exotic places in the western Pacific) but shaved it off soon after arriving back in CONUS (Continental United States). I had to. The Marines at the gate would not let me pass because the mustache was not on my military ID card. I got around that a couple of times but decided it was not worth the effort or the hassle of getting a new ID card.

After I left the Navy, I was in the Los Angeles area and beards were common. So I let mine grow. It took a long time, it seemed. And it was sparse compared to some (most, actually) but it was what I wanted, what I thought was right. The hair was allowed to grow too. It saved money for barbers. And it was also common at the time for men to have long hair. I was less suspect as a "narc" when seeking drugs, too. Which was odd because undercover cops grew beards and long hair too, so  beards and long hair actually meant nothing.

I shaved off the beard (but left the moustache) and got my hair cut shortly before I applied for employment with Southern Bell in Miami a few months into 1970. I didn't shave again after my first week on the job and I didn't get another haircut until 1974.  I let the hair grow back until 1978 when I decided I was tired of washing it and taking care of it. Long hair requires a lot of effort to keep clean and under control. I trimmed my beard from time to time but did not shave it off again. I trimmed it into a goatee around 1989 and then again a few years ago.

Why am I babbling about my beard? Because I read this which burrowed into my brain and took up residence.

Why did I grow a beard?  Unlike the author of that piece, I never met a woman who disliked beards. Even my mother liked it (unlike his). She never complained about it anyway. No one did, as I recall. I grew it for a simple reason: I am lazy. Shaving every day is a pain in the derriere. I shave my cheeks and neck maybe once every couple of days when the neck growth starts to itch too much. The cheek growth never seems to itch. My facial hair is soft, unlike some men with much more testosterone, I suppose. Perhaps that's why the women I dated and married never complained or maybe because the beard hid my weak chin.

There's another possible reason... beards, especially soft ones, can tickle... wherever, and whatever, they touch.

4 comments:

Tony said...

I think that a lot of former military men grow their hair, beards, etc after they leave service. I guess it's because for long they were not allowed to grow it out. I work with veterans and a lot of them have ponytails or long hair with a lot facial hair.

I look way older with a beard. When we met I think I had a goatee, but since then I shaved and now only have a mustache, but someone just told me that I look like a Mario Brother with it - I can't win with the facial hair.

Douglas said...

People think a beard is too hot for summer (especially down here) but it isn't. You can splash it with water and it will remain damp and cool for some time. It insulates against heat as well as it does against cold.

My beard now lets me look the age I am. When it was a rich dark brown, people thought I was 5 years younger than I am... Well, they said they did anyway. Maybe they were lying.

Inspector Clouseau said...

Interesting piece about facial hair. I always thought that wearing a beard required a certain attitude or personality. Like men who wear hats, and bow-ties, they always seemed particularly suited to those who are comfortable with them.

Back in the days when I was able to take extended vacations, I would start growing a beard while away from work, primarily to eliminate razor bumps and any skin problems associated with shaving. However, I never felt comfortable with a beard.

Additionally, since I am uncomfortable having my face with a 5 o'clock shadow rub up against a woman's face, I am even more uncomfortable having a beard.

An entertaining piece. Thanks for sharing.

Douglas said...

Thank you, Inspector. A beard, like a comfy pair of shoes or that old sweatshirt from those college days (that miraculously still fits), just becomes a part of you. And it takes time, you have to get past that itchy stage, that sandpaper stage, and grow used to it.

My father, clean shaven all his life (as far I ever knew) had a tough beard. My mother used to say he had a 5 o'clock shadow around noon. I didn't inherit that and I am a bit glad I didn't.