Now, down to some more serious matters. Since my last blog you have learned that I possess a mythic and wondrous beard. Well, today, sadly enough, I had to detach it from my face. Yes, you heard it here, the beard is no more. It was a very hard thing to do. I had grown quite fond of the curly mane that lay upon my face.

Through the last couple months I have found myself truly transitioning from college to the real world. First, in December, the golden locks had to be cut. (Because of a bet I made with my fiancee). And now my beard has been torn from my being (not really torn, more like shaven but torn gives it more of a dramatic effect). You see, I have a job interview on Monday with NOAA, National Oceanographic and Meteorological Association. I am applying for a position in their service corps and sadly they discriminate against beards. Yes I know, its horrible. I thought that we lived in a place of acceptance, I too thought that we had moved past the ugly face of discrimination. I thought it through all week, seeking advice, seeking answers that would be to my liking. But when it came down to it, the beard had to leave.

I loved my beard. We had many great times together. We would frequent the grocery store to shop together. We would travel to the beach and watch the sunrise together. We would share laughs, hardships, and secrets together. We were one in the same, my beard and I. I am sorry dear friend that it had to end so quickly. I am sorry that you now lay scattered in the sink, down the drain, and in the trash, to never again grow and flourish upon my face. Just like the ancient greeks would throw funeral games for fallen heroes, I too will throw funeral games for my beard. They will last through the week of spring break.

Beard, I miss you.

-Nick

By request, this blog is dedicated to my (Nick) beard. I would describe my beard as both mythic and the real deal. Before we get into the enchanting story of my beard I would like to go through a quick history of the beard. So ready yourselves for the ride that is… THE BEARD.

The beard is the hair that grows on the chin, cheeks, and neck. The study of beards is called pogonology. This stems from the Greek, pogon, meaning beard. Since time began, men with facial hair have been ascribed various attributes such as wisdom, sexual virility, or high status. In the ancient world such as Egypt and Mesopotamia, high ranking men dressed their faces with beards. In Mesopotamia, they would often devote great care such as oiling and dressing their beards. Grecian beards were curled with tongs to create hanging curls. Beards predominated among the Greeks and Macedonians until around 332 B.C. when Alexander III ordered his army to be clean shaven because he feared that the enemy could use the beard as a handle.

In ancient India and Israel beards were grown long which symbolized wisdom. Beards were revered in the ancient world and punishment for actions like adultery was to have the offenders beard publicly cut off. There was sacred regard for the preservation of their beards and in some cases the man might pledge it for the payment of a debt. It was custom among the Romans to consecrate the first growth of a young man’s beard to some god. During times of grief and mourning Romans would also let their hair and beards grow out.

Some little tidbits about beards:

• To westernized Russia, in 1698 Peter the Great levied a tax on beards!!!
• Before Abraham Lincoln, no US President had a beard and no President since Benjamin Harrison has worn a beard
• It is illegal for amatuer boxers to have beards
• The Beatles all sported beards during the bands last days

Some quotes:

• “There are two kinds of people in this world that go around beardless — boys and women — and I am neither one.” -Greek saying
• “The beard is the handsomeness of the face, and a wife is the joy in a man’s heart.” – R’ Akiva, Eicha Rabbah
• “How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them!…For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest–a sign of strength and rule.” St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275

Ok, now for my beard. I have been growing my beard since August and I think that it has grown quite well. I believe that I have become much wiser since growing my beard as well. My beard is like a dream catcher, it snatches wisdom out of the air. My beard is curly and full of might. I no longer get carded at restaurants and I think it’s because my beard has Jedi powers. Why else wouldn’t servers ask for my ID? These are just a few secrets about my beard. I can’t really go into the other ones because I don’t want to give away all my secrets, my beard might turn on me. The only reason I get through the day is because of my beard. It gives me what I like to call the 4 D’s: Determination, Drive, Direction, and Destiny ( I know the last one doesn’t make sense but that is because you don’t have a beard and wouldn’t understand). Some of my future beardly goals include: to house nesting birds, connect the hair from my bellybutton to my beard, tie a bead around it like Dumbledore, world peace, and donate it to locks of love. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be the man I am today without my beard. I wake up every morning thanking God for the gift of my beard. Hope you enjoy the first real post of “seniors in transition”.

Signed

Nick

Not long ago we were sitting in a college dorm room dreaming of our own website.  Now, that vision has become a reality, and Seniors in Transition is going places we could have never imagined before, thanks in large part to our many friends.  Thanks for all the help and encouragement as we continue to live the dream for a couple more months. 

 -Nick and Matt