Beard Strong

"Whatever it is that motivates men to grow their own,(beard) the trend does raise questions about what is happening to men in our culture and why this sudden assertion of masculinity?" -Coline Covington

 LOL I love this!

I read an article recently about this "new" trend by men to grow beards, and I thought I would make a few observations and comments. My first comment?  It's not new. Men of every culture have grown beards for all of time. Many cultures see men with no facial hair as young and weak or immature. Basically saying that real men have beards. I couldn't agree more. 

I have always had facial hair. Ok clearly I wasn't born with it, but from my early teenage years anyway. My style was the goatee. I guess back then I just enjoyed my ability to have a style that made me different from some of the other kids. As an adult, my beard was attached to (my face) my hunting exploits. I would begin to let my face armor grow at the beginning of the deer hunting season in the fall, and refused to shave until I had killed my buck for the year.  As soon as the meat was in my freezer I went right back to my faithful face friend, the goatee.

These days I'm sporting a full beard.  I deliberately trim it to somewhat of a "point" below my chin. I like the look, but to be honest, having this beard tends to elongate my facial features and helps me appear thinner. I've always struggled with my self image, and my beard helps me feel more confident.
You can see my beard in my Blogger Profile pic.  

My beard is also a representation of the gun culture that I am most certainly a part of.  I'm a cop and a personal defense instructor by trade. Many guys in this industry grow beards. I think for us it really stems from the special operations community.  Seeing pictures of our Nation's best warriors sporting full beards makes us proud. We all want to identify with those guys. In many cases they are what many men wish they were. So If I can grow a beard and it helps me feel confident and warrior-like, then where's the harm in that? 

BUT.... (That's a big but)

Joshua Haarbrink says this -
"Not to be confused with the “hipster” scene where sideburns, handle-bar mustaches, pseudo-rugged goatees and stylish 5 o’clock shadows have become increasingly popular, the tactical beard community has grown rapidly and has spawned community groups like the private Facebook group, the Tactical Beard Owners Club, which now boasts almost 11,000 fans on its Facebook fan page as well as over 1,600 verified members with chapters in various locations around the world. Originally established as a community to provide networking and support for current military operators as well as veterans, this group provides a powerful resource in maintaining morale and connectivity for soldiers and tactical professionals, both in fields abroad and at home. This brotherhood of the tactically-bearded reflects the camaraderie and respect that both military and civilian operators develop in their communities, and the proud display of a fully nurtured beard has become a badge of honor among those who truly deserve that honor as well as a sign of respect and recognition among those who value the commitment of those operators."

Exactly! That is all.

- Me