My husband is a wonderful man. Not only is he kind and gentle, but he’s funny too. He’s musically talented, having played guitar for 20 years, was in 2 bands and now teaches guitar lessons to those young and old. He’s the type of person that once you get to know, you’ll have a friend for life.
The only problem is people getting past his appearance. This is my darling husband:
No he is not a member of ZZ Top or Duck Dynasty. He is a bearded gentleman. He gets a lot of attention for it, both good and bad.
Which is why I’m writing this article today. I find it sad that something as natural (and fun) as a beard can get so much hate…it boggles my mind. Many people have told him that he needs to ‘shave that mess off of his face’ or else he’ll never get ahead in life. We’ve been walking around town before and people will actually cross the street to avoid having to go near him. Companies give him the ultimatum to either lose the beard or lose the job. Why? Because there is, for some reason, a stigma about having facial hair. It is seen as unclean, unkempt, and only worn by members low on the societal totem pole. People also tend to think that only lazy hippies, dirty hobos, criminals, evil biker gangs and creepers keep the facial hair look. Some people are even scared or intimidated by him, not realizing he wouldn’t so much as hurt a fly (unless it bit him and then all bets are off).
In reality, none of those stereotypes are true. For example, my husband spends more time in front of the mirror meticulously grooming his beard than I spend doing my hair and make-up. To him, a beard is a badge of honor. A sign of manhood and prowess. The fact that he’s maintained such a nice looking and healthy beard shows dedication, not laziness. He even has special shampoo and conditioner for it!
He is proud of his follicled face, as am I. He’s so proud of it , he’s even joined up with the Bull City Beardsman to help promote awareness and to compete in contests for charities. These are good, honest, hard-working men looking to better the world with their fabulous facial hair.
So these stereotypes need to stop once and for all. Ladies, give bearded men a chance. It takes some getting used to at first, but trust me when I say from experience you will learn to love it in ALL of its uses and aspects. Men, don’t hate. If you can’t grow a beard its OK. You can still show support for those who do. Employers, give these bearded fellows a chance. If they can put years of dedication into their facial hair, imagine what they can do for your company!
Don’t fear the beard! Embrace it, love it, snuggle with it if you can! You won’t regret it!
Ms Jackson's Mad World 