The moral arc of facial hair

Back in the rainy time off around the holidays, I decided to not shave. This decision wasn’t some rebellion against society or part of some beard-growing contest, but was born out of the fact that;

A. I hate to shave
B. I have a job that doesn’t care if I look homeless

Over the past few months, it was interesting to see how people reacted a little differently to one growing a beard, and I have to say I am not pleased. You disappoint me America.

I would wish that we, as a society, have moved beyond the fact that facial hair has come to symbolize laziness, lack of success, or the symbol of the slacker. Sure, it is the common garb of the hard-studying student, but once in our history, it was the common place for people to express themselves through facial hair.

Take ancient times for example. Beards back then were a symbol of royalty. Beyond that, "Honest" Abe Lincoln sported odd facial hair. Slacker? I think not.

And then there are the Germans (let’s disregard Hitler for the time being). The Germans have perfected the odd use of crazy facial hair. But that’s the point. Back then, it wasn’t crazy and you wouldn’t have been mistaken for homeless on the streets of Mill Valley (not that Mill Valley existed, or the super-egos that live there would have been tolerated).

I want to bring back the day where facial hair is as common and accepted as non-facial hair. This is a time for change, a time for acceptance. People everywhere are recognizing that people are just people, yet the social stigma against unshaven men (and women, for that matter) remains...

I will admit that the beard has powers that work the other way. Cut someone off in traffic, look over, and if the guy looks like a Hell’s Angels member, look away quickly. This happened to me as well. I like to think I am a calm liberal member of the community, more than happy to let people cross at places other than the crosswalk. But, bearded, I felt a sense of power over those of lesser beard-ability, so to speak. I could give them a scowl, and they would look away. That that!

At work, they accepted my beard graciously, aside from jokes about having a beard cam and the time my chair fell over and they blamed my lack-of-balance on my beard. Of course, I work at a place where we openly swear and can drink beer (for the record, not the reason my chair fell over).

So, my point is, lighten up America. A new day is dawning. The moral arc of justice is long, but it bends towards allowing everyone to grow the facial hair they want.

That said, I’m glad to have it off...