This column has been a long time in the making.
I noticed that almost all the guys no matter where I was had beards. Long, short, fuzzy, and soft! I began to wonder why all the beards. When I was younger, there were not very many beards. Now they are everywhere!
Since I am a person who can speak to a stone, I decided to find out why all these good-lookin’ dudes had beards, much to the embarrassment of my daughters and grandgirls. BTW, I really like talking to good-lookin’ dudes. LOL!
Here goes — I stopped a lot of guys; shopping, at the bank, getting a copy of my deed, checking out, and even at church! The first thing I told them was that I was writing a column on beards. I didn’t ask their name. I asked them why they had a beard and how long they had it. Of course, the number one answer was, “they were lazy!” The rest is wonderful!
Guys are more likely than gals to explain things. They did. One guy told me he wore a beard so people knew he was a man. Another said to be in tune with other lovers of the US! Here are some more answers — working the third shift and too tired to shave. Cover a double chin. Make chin more prominent. Hide the fat face. Cover scars. To look stronger. Look older because he was teaching high school English. Some guys dyed their beard. Get this one: his fiancee asked him to grow a beard because it would look good in wedding pictures. It did! She was with him when I asked. They thought it was hilarious! Another couple told me it was because she wanted to see what her husband looked like in a beard; he looked great, so he kept it. One guy whose beard was long and shaggy told me he wanted to look bad! His wife told me he was the sweetest guy who ever lived. My church friend said he first grew a beard because he at one time had a very nasty boss who hated beards. Everyone hated him. When he got everyone in trouble for no reason, they decided to get back, so they all grew beards. My brother-in-law said he and his twin brother had a bet on who could grow the best beard. My brother-in-law won.
Most guys told me they had the beard for a good while. They all said the beard took time to take care of if they did! Most had to be trimmed and shaved to keep the shape.
Here’s the best — this guy sent me a text while I playing bingo with his mom and she told him about my interest in beards. He always wanted to grow a beard, something to stand out from the crowd. His 10” beard makes him different than most and it has become a conversation piece.
In 2019 while walking through Target, this guy stopped him and told him he liked his beard and asked if he had ever heard of the Cincinnati Beard Barons. His wife encouraged him to attend a meeting, a “good for guy time.” Well, his whole family was invited so not “guy time.” Beards are not hardly mentioned at beard clubs.
There are many beard clubs all around the world. They all focus on charity. Some help Special Olympics, others help animals, etc.
The Cincinnati Beard Barons help veterans and are raising money for The Barracks Project. They raise money by holding a beard competition called The Whisker Revival every October. Bearded men, as well as women with crafted beards, come from all over the world to compete. They do other competitions on a smaller scale. You can see them riding in a float at the opening day parade and at Bockfest. What started as a way for a guy with a beard to ‘stand out’ became his passion. He always loved doing charity work and loved growing a beard. So for now, he will keep growing!!
Next time you see a good-looking dude with a beard, “wonder why”.
Good days to all of you with or without beards! God bless!