Just before summer started I cut my thumb real bad (which you may have read about way back in May). One of the results was I quick shaving for a bit. After a week or two, for no reason in particular, I decided to just let it go for the whole summer. I’d never let it go for more than about 6 weeks or so before. But because I know when I cut my thumb, I know the last day I’d shaved – May 24. I made it to August 18, before I had to cut it loose. Nearly 3 months.
In the interest of full disclosure I did trim the moustache several times. (Once the moustache gets too long eating becomes a hassle, and I certainly wasn’t committed enough to this project to alter my eating habits. Although, I’m pretty sure I did walk around with food in my beard a fair amount of times.) I also trimmed the beard itself. I never knew this before, but my beard tends to grow a bit lopsided if you just leave it to its own whimsy too long. It seems to have some sort of cowlick just under my chin. So I did even it out every few weeks.
Before we get to the pics (for those of you who didn’t immediately scroll to the to the pictures) let me answer a few beard-based fan questions:
Your wife let you do that?
Yes. Actually, she was quite fond of the beard and sad (but supportive) when I shaved it off. I went to two weddings as a bearded man and my wife proudly stood by me and took pictures with me and everything!
How did the world treat you as a bearded individual?
It depended on where I was. When in Seattle, I seemed to just belong. When I was in the Mormon strongholds of Idaho and Nevada I was shunned. At the airport, I was pulled aside, vigorously searched and had anything that could “justifiably” taken away from me confiscated. (I usually get singled out at the airport, but that was by far the most intense scrutiny that has ever been paid to me.)
What were your first impressions after shaving the beard off?
For the first day, it was what I imagine an amnesiac would see in a mirror. Weirder still, thought I looked a bit ill, like someone who had suffered from The Atkins. The beard had added some “weight” to my face and without it I looked oddly thin.
Side Note:
After the few times I’ve done these beard removal pictures, it is starting to get hard to think of styles I haven’t yet tried. If you have any requests for the future beard projects, please send them in. I’m nearly out of ideas.
Without further ado, I give you…
The Muir
The Comrade
…and…
Selleck
