Return to The Brotherhood

"He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man." William Shakespeare

As I surf around the blog I am always happy to find a niche blog... one that speaks to a subject (unlike "mommy blogs" or sports blog or even running blogs, for that matter) that has a level of uniqueness. While I'm not sure there is much online, suited for family viewing, that has not been "done" before, once in a while something surprises me.

This whole silly "niche interest" started during my (second) Master's in Educational Administration program when it occurred to me that many of the men in my class had something in common. Not every male in class, though. Everyone enrolled in the program, men and women, are dedicated professionals who hope to make a difference in our particular corner of the world. What occurred to me though, had little to do with our individual missions in life, but rather with grooming... among the men in attendance, a number of us had facial hair.

Real facial hair. No Van Dykes. No mustaches, or soul patches, but full fledged beards. Beards of varying lengths ranging from two-day-old stubble to full lumber jack style growth. Surprisingly (given the day's fashion trends) there was (thankfully!) not a goatee in the bunch.

Stroking (what was at the time) my own beard, I noticed that both the professors also had beards... one actually had mentioned previously that he had never had a beard before this past year, as it was not "professional". Now, as a retired educational big-wig, and nautical aficionado, the beard had suited him well. Heck, he suggested, as a college professor it is practically part of the uniform.

In that moment I felt the call to join an exclusive brotherhood, one which I continue to occasionally accepted membership and at other times, abstained... while I had not yet "earned it," I felt the unspoken approval necessary from my elders to take my place to return once again to the the Brotherhood of the Beard!

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!