Trying to accept the fact I can’t grow full beards by shaving
Posted: January 11, 2012 Filed under: My good days. Diary/log, My life | Tags: facial hair, hair styles, winter beard Leave a comment »
More than ten days have passed since I wrote up a blog entry. Should one write about anything to keep a schedule or should one wait until they have something to write about? From my experience with blogging, it needs to be regular, which means at least once a week. Then you get views from the people you email the post, and those that see it on facebook, twitter, and other sites. But the more your write on different subjects the more searches can get to your blog. Because of that I think more is better, and it only takes one media person to link a post on a major site to get exposure. I really do not have much to talk about today, so I’m going to stoop low and talk about hair, facial hair that is.
For the past few winters I got the itch to grow a beard. My facial hair is not the fullest, and is kind of straggly. To a certain point it looks good. One friend 3 or 4 years ago told me the trick is to shave your neck, and that gives some boundaries for the beard and makes it look better. I decided in early November to grow a beard so I would have one for my thanksgiving holiday. I had my beard until tonight, and other than shaving my neck every few days I did not trim it at all.
Over dinner on Sunday, my sister kind of looked at my beard and said, “It’s starting to look a little wild.” With that statement she kind of had a smile or an expression to make me think it was getting out of control. My sister is a very smart woman, and knows a lot about fashion. She told me years ago never to buy pleated slacks, but always get flat front slacks. And she is right.
Anyway, my beard was freshly on my mind. On Monday morning after a quick shower before work I headed out toward the bus stop. I put my hand on my beard and noticed it was still wet. We have had some super warm weather recently, but what happens when it does get really cold. Would I have a frozen beard? When I eat pizza, does the grease stay on my beard and chin? If my nose starts running, would the snot stay on my mustache? I’m not a neat freak, but maybe it’s called being ‘clean’ shaven because it’s more hygienic.
Today at work, my beard is still on my mind. I asked a few coworkers. Someone pointed out either trim it or shave it off. A few customers made funny but nice comments on it, so I decided I would shave it off. Originally I planned to keep it until April, but I guess I’m a quitter.
On the bus ride home I saw a dude that had a thick beard. I could grow it until next thanksgiving, and mine would not look like a manly beard. So I came home and walked to my barber, but the barber closed at seven. So I got some food, came home, and started the long process of shaving. I started with a small pair of scissors I use to trim my nose hair. And then I found a disposable razor, and then I used the expensive razor. This felt like it took a long time.
One thing I was on the fence about shaving my beard was if I did that at the barber, I would have to get a hair cut too. But by shaving myself I can continue to let my hair grow.
I’m not trying to tell people not to grow beards with this blog entry, but encourage people to try different things and do what works. For me, I don’t think facial hair works, unless I spent time styling it, which I won’t do.
Short hair cut wins this round
Posted: June 25, 2011 Filed under: a history of sorts, My attempts at humor | Tags: hair styles, style Leave a comment »
I am an inconsistent person. Nothing shows that more than by my various hair styles and facial hair attempts. My father has had the same hair cut as long as I’ve known him, my roommate’s hair is always the same, my Uncles have the same hair always, and a lot of men seem to keep the same hair style. I got a drastic hair cut today, so for an entry with a lighter tone I’m going to write the history of my hair. Yes I am that self absorbed to think that anyone would care about this.
As a kid I remember I did not want to cut my hair, shower, or bath at all. If it wasn’t for my parents I would probably have run around as a filthy kid that would be right at home for a Tarzan or Lord of the Flies film set. In middle school everyone had to have the bowl cut, so I had floppy bangs. But it didn’t get too long, I usually got a haircut once my bangs got into my eyes.
During the first summer in Toledo Ohio when a few friends visited me, my sister dyed my hair bright red. My dad was pissed, and scared me enough that I never dyed my hair again. As an adult I never been compelled to dye my hair, but a few years in the early to mid 90’s I yearned for sky blue hair. That coloring never happened. It’s funny though I at times have wanted super long hair, but it’s never gotten past my neck.
One other memorable thing happened hair wise in high school. Someone at my school had clippers and he shaved my head. I looked horrible and my skin on my head had a green tint to it, and there was also a growth there. That was removed and hair never grew back in that spot. It took a long time to grow out from the shaven state, but one of my student friends said it looked good when it grew out enough to cover my head. I call this the tennis ball haircut because when you run your fingers threw it you feel fuzz. This is also a style associated with European soccer players and is a popular men’s style. When I am tired of my attempts to grow out my hair, I get this cut, and it’s the one I got today.
As an adult I’ll keep a short haircut for awhile, and then I get the fantasy of having long hair. So I let it grow for awhile. In most cases, once my hair covers my ears, I break down and get the tennis ball haircut. Around 1999 to 2000 I had long hair to my neck, and there is a picture of me holding my infant nephew with floppy hair. Around 2006 or 2007 I had long hair. Maybe my memory is deluded but I think I get more of a response from the ladies when I have long hair. Up until this week I was planning on growing out my hair. There is one problem with this, in that I gained a few pounds. Perhaps anyone can pull off long hair, but I think I would look better lean and mean with hair like that.
Now that I have short hair again, I noticed my widows peak is a little larger than before. So perhaps this is the start of oncoming baldness. Long hair in combination with baldness is probably something to avoid. I might be coming to the point in my life and career, that I should look clean and proper all the time. My tendencies are sloppiness and embracing filth, but a lot of people, and a lot of females are turned off by that. Maybe it is a sentence of once of month haircuts and shaving everyday to be taken seriously as a professional. Maybe people have the same look all the time so people know who there are, and have it be an example of consistency. But I think after awhile of maintaining a certain look I get bored and decide to grow a beard or grow out my hair.
After writing all of this I realize my focus is in the wrong place. Perhaps I should focus on getting in shape and putting some effort in what I wear. I don’t think about my clothes hardly at all, I wear my stuff until there are holes in them, and I hardly ever buy new clothes. Thinking about image may be superficial but it’s something I should consider doing because it’s part of adult life. If I were to grade my look I would give myself a C or a C -. Hair is not much of factor I’m convinced now, and style is more about the whole package.
Lastly with my new and current haircut I need to avoid wearing my hideous glasses in public even more than before.
