Keep The Beard Or Shave?

It is a near constant quandary for me lately. Keep it or shave it?
I like how rough and rugged it makes me but it gets annoying while eating and lately sometimes it gets caught in a coat zipper (OUCH!!!!!). Cleaning is a delicate task: Apply shampoo. Tightly compress lips to not eat shampoo. Careful breathing through nose to not inhale shampoo. Slightly more difficult than washing hair.

Ok been a while since I had that. Hair on top of head.

Shaved, I look better. Younger. Cleaner. Like a beard, it takes maintenance. With a beard I have to often trim around my lips. No beard, shave often.

Someone told me to shave a few months ago because it makes me look “old”. I laughed and told him, “I AM OLD!”.

I tried to argue with myself that beards are natural. Shaving is not natural. Oh wait: I shave my head. Not natural.

For now I will keep the beard. I think I have a soft face younger than my age. With a beard I feel like I am looking out at the world from a bush I carry in front of my face seeing the world through it and the world seeing ME through that tangle. Making faces with a beard is more fun. When I was a kid I would have loved to have had a beard to make faces with!

I have to get a new drivers license photo in July. I think I will shave the day AFTER I get that license renewal photo 😉

Then again there is that fascination of how long can I let this thing grow? Since I was 28 I have found it amusing to change my appearance. I think women can relate with hair cuts and dyes.