A Clean Cut Mystic Traveller
Yesterday, quite spontaneously, I decided to remove my goatee beard. Once a year, perhaps out of boredom with the face that reflects back at me in the mirror, I find myself impulsively lifting a razor to the course hair protruding from my upper lip and chin. Everytime I do so, I am amazed at how youthful my beard's removal makes me.
Beneath is revealed a face that has a chin dimple to match that of John Travolta; although my chin is a weak, receding affair that gives me zero hope of ever being cast as Batman or Superman! My dear lost goatee has always been a veiled attempt to compensate for what is lacking below the pale, tanless skin.
The downside of removing facial hair is the preparation required to cope with the reactions from friends and colleagues. It is hard enough to adjust to the 'new' look, without the continual attention. I am always amazed at how so much verbiage can be generated by simply removing some whiskers. Then again, I remember how obsessed my entire class was at primary school when the deputy head teacher shaved off his ginger chin mullet.
Well, one day of facial baldness has passed and I am already considering growing the beard back; a process that takes about two weeks. I am sure that I could get used to being beardless, but I do feel so naked.
Beneath is revealed a face that has a chin dimple to match that of John Travolta; although my chin is a weak, receding affair that gives me zero hope of ever being cast as Batman or Superman! My dear lost goatee has always been a veiled attempt to compensate for what is lacking below the pale, tanless skin.
The downside of removing facial hair is the preparation required to cope with the reactions from friends and colleagues. It is hard enough to adjust to the 'new' look, without the continual attention. I am always amazed at how so much verbiage can be generated by simply removing some whiskers. Then again, I remember how obsessed my entire class was at primary school when the deputy head teacher shaved off his ginger chin mullet.
Well, one day of facial baldness has passed and I am already considering growing the beard back; a process that takes about two weeks. I am sure that I could get used to being beardless, but I do feel so naked.
3 comments:
Hooray! You're posting again!
I grew a beard quite simply because I hate shaving. The last time I removed it was about 16 years ago - my chin has not seen daylight since. The main reason for this is Maggie - she prefers bearded men, so neither she nor my children have ever seen my chin.
A guy I work with,continually goes through a cycle of growing a beard,shaving it off. Growing it,shaving it off. Growing it, shaving it off. Part of me has been like that. I do like Goatees, but never manage to grow one of those silly long "Ming" beards that I've always admired so much.
Problem is, Western culture is a bit scared of natural untrimmed beards. That's why I grow them in cultures where Beards are actually admired (or required). Easier when travelling.
None of the stigma is attached to beards,like in Western society. Back in the west though, sooner or later I just wake up one morning and feel like shaving. The benefit (as you say) is that you suddenly realize how much younger you look without one. A nice reminder which can only come when you've been fuzzed up.
Really, I think I just grow the Goatees occasionally because I love fiddling with it. Stroking it (like Kim here in his Avatar). Something is very comforting about stroking even a few millimetres of stubble.
"Hmmmm" (pondering while stroking!)
Hi, folks!
Yeah, I might get into a habit of shaving more often, just to vary the mug. It has been very strange seeing a different identity in the mirror.
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