This is what has happened to my face since Thanksgiving.
I traditionally grow a beard during the cold Kentucky winter between Christmas and my birthday (January 20). This year, with the early cold snap upon us well before Christmas, I unleashed my inner Highlander Scotsman the week after Thanksgiving. The picture to the left is the current state of affairs on my face.
On the upside, the extra facial protection has been great for the truly frigid dog walks in our near and subzero temperatures of late. Neither wind nor rain nor sleet nor snow can penetrate The Beard. And despite daily washing, The Beard makes me look just crazy enough that I really haven’t had to fear for my personal safety or harassment since it was two or three weeks old.
She has just finished reiterating that walks are NOT optional.
Of course, on the downside, I do look like a borderline crazy person. The Wife says that The Beard looks “distinguished” or “handsome,” but I think it may be bordering on unnerving passersby. There’s enough of The Beard that it needs to be washed and brushed. I keep it off my high cheeks and trimmed around the neck, but I still look like I might leave any minute to lead a charge on General Bragg at Chattanooga or rob the Overland Flyer.
Which brings us to January’s Question of the Month. I will be heading to the beach on Hilton Head Island the first week of March and am considering keeping and expanding the beard until then. So I ask you, what should be the fate of The Beard?
