On a rare sunny day in Seattle, I was waiting for the light to change. I was heading up Pike St. near Pike’s Place Market. It was a lovely day of people buying flowers, fruit or eating local food from the market stands. I was just enjoying a walk in this tourist trap. My beard was itching due the one year growth on the chin. The presence of a man breaking my personal bubble was near. I noticed in the corner of my eye, he was reaching into his back pocket. Leaning in my personal bubble space, he flips a wallet size picture at me. I frowned but I think he didn’t notice. He had some age on me. I looked at the picture and my frown turned upside down. Wow! This man in the picture had a white beard that was down past his waist line. That was impressive. The beard was long and took on the shape of rectangle. I looked at him and realized there was no long beard on the man holding the picture. But the face I was looking at directly and the image on the picture were the same. I asked this stranger how long he had grown this long beard. He told me with a chuckle seven years. Again, I have been impressed. I walked away amazed. This kind stranger now had a white goatee. I wondered why he had cut the long impressive beard off. I will never know. As I walked home I decided on a goal. I will grow the beard for seven years being inspired by this nameless random stranger on the corner of Pike Street and 1st in Seattle
Do’s and Don’ts
- Don’t Pull it. My hair follicles are attached to the skin.
- Do not let it caught in a zipper or button. Carefully pull aside, pull around ear or place in mouth.
- It’s not there to use as a mouth wipe. Just not as effective as a napkin.
- No tickling others or whipping others face. Just gross.
- Expect senseless questions. An example would be”if I pull it, will it hurt?”
- Don’t look down on others with less of a beard or just can’t grow one.
- Don’t cover your whole face. God gave you a beard and a face… so show it.
- Don’t chew it. Just nasty and no flavor.
- Clean it from food particles. Do you like food in your head hair? I think not.
- Accept compliments.
- Apologize if a long hair is on dinner table or in food.
- Don’t pull.
- Let people touch, pet or rub the beard. NO PULLING!!
- Let people place it on their lip or bald head if their head is clean.
- If you can’t grow one, don’t beat yourself up.
- Run far away from women with a beard longer than yours. Better yet just run if she has a 3 o’clock shadow!