Much has been said regarding "Change" in this election year. Yesterday, I put a little change of my own into action. After 8+ years of sporting a beard (with only 2 very brief breaks during that stretch), I decided it was time for change.
Saturday morning I looked into the mirror and thought to myself, "What can I do to shake up my image this year?" For the last several years, I have asked myself questions at the beginning of the school year. These questions usually revolve around how I want to do my job. Each year I want to improve and make adjustments so that I can continue to do my part to reach toward the professional goals I have set for myself. The aforementioned question was one of those such questions for this year. I have to admit. I think this is the first time I asked a question that involved my personal appearance. So, this was new territory for me.
My answer to the question came quickly. The most immediate, drastic, and yet subtle changes I could make was to my facial hair. The beard needed to go. For anyone who has never worn a beard for any length of time it is difficult to convey exactly what this change means. Beards worn over long periods of time begin to define the beard-wearer. When the beard goes, an element of the individual's personality goes with it. It is necessary to account for this and to plan ahead. In my case, I felt it necessary to replace the beard with something else-- or, more specifically, something less.
No less important than the decision to discard the beard is the manner in which this is done. One cannot, or at least should not, simply slather on a handful of shaving cream and attach the face with a razor. While you can effectively rid your face of hair in this manner, it shows little respect for the beard. True beardsmen realize that the beard is part of you. As mentioned before, it helps define you. The beard shearing process must be thoughtful. The first step should be to trim down the beard to about a 3-5 day stubble before shaving. In my case, I needed to go over the beard 3 times with my electric clippers. Two different length guards were needed and then a final pass with just the bare clippers. There are two reasons for this. First, it is much easier to take a razor to stubble rather than longer hair. Second, you are able to visualize the departure of the beard. This second reason is psychological. As the beard becomes less and less and your face begins to emerge, you are able to see a "new" you emerging. This all ties into the beard being "part of you". Non-bearders will just have to trust me on this.
For me, I left myself a goatee. Some would argue that this means that I have not fully made a break with the beard. I would argue that this is not the case. The goatee is a separate entity. It brings its own grooming habits and idiosyncrasies different from the beard. Its "look" is of a different kind than the beard. This is my change for this year. I am at peace with this change. I think it will have a part in defining the course of the new year for me.
