What People Notice.....

I first grew a beard in my mid-twenties to mark a change in my life. That initial growth was dark with tinges of auburn. At a point going forward many people that entered my life never saw me without a beard and mustache. My dear wife only knew me with facial hair, as did my two sons. I will never forget the look on their faces, and the tears that flowed down the boys cheeks, when I walked out of the bathroom after shaving my beard in preparation for a minor surgical procedure. "I want my Dad back!!" and "Tell Dad to grow it back!!" and "You look weird!!". I did grow the beard back, but some time later (I don't remember when) I decided to reduce the full beard to a goatee, trimmed close and by then gray in color. The darkness had long left those whiskers.

I shaved my chin around five weeks ago. There was a reason for doing so, but I was free of the hair that had marked a memory and a time. I wanted to present a different face to the world. I will admit it took me some time to adjust to the face in the mirror. The clean chin didn't bring youth back; maybe I'll achieve that by shaving the mustache some day soon.

Anyway, I was amused at the lack of immediate notice that people took of my "new" look. I told no one what I was going to do, so as I walked into the office the morning after, I received only a few puzzled looks. After a number of "You look different this morning..." comments, several gasped "You shaved your beard!!!" Others took several days to figure it out. I just laughed each time the revelation came through. What struck me was the fact that so many didn't have a clue what I had done, yet they, in time, realized something about me didn't fit the old image. Sometimes I had to tell them.

As to my new look?......Several of the "girls" in customer service agreed I looked like a movie star. I think they were mostly sincere. When asked "What movie star?", one came up with Charlton Heston.
I thought a few seconds and said "Thank you, but I need to warn you I am not immune to such flattery". I checked it out that night in the mirror...I don't think I look like Heston at all..... Maybe some other rugged Hollywood type as yet to be identified.

SRH