Tue
28
Jan
2014
100 DAYS LATER…
100 DAYS LATER… ME, MYSELF, AND THE BEARD
10 years… after 10 years of shaving my beard almost every day, I decided to let him grow during my travel for exactly 100 days. Not just because I thought it might look good (actually I had no idea how it will look like)… no, it was because I wanted the feeling of freedom. To do whatever I want to do, even with my face 🙂 But let‘s start from the beginning.
‘…almost my whole life I looked up to the cool guys with a beard’
As you maybe know, I worked the last 10 years in the hospitality industry. I loved my job – really I did, but there was one thing I always hated. “Mr. Decker, you have to shave your beard, that‘s our grooming standard”. Okay, to be honest I could understand my bosses, as I was the representative of 5 star hotels and of course it looks more cultivated, if you have a fresh shaved face every day.
But anyway, almost my whole life I looked up to the cool guys with a beard. Chuck Norris, ZZ TOP and even Santa Claus :). I wanted to have one as well! So as soon as I had my last day of work, I put my razor in one of my packing cases and there it still lies.
IN THE BEGINNING EVERYTHING WAS GOOD
After the first 2 weeks, when we arrived in Mexico, the beard looked quiet good. I felt so cool. 🙂 Everywhere I went the people told me. ‘Hey, your beard is cool!’ What a great feeling. You need to know that in Mexico you see just very few men with a beard. So you are kind of special. However, at the same time, I realised that I am not the only one who is not shaving during holidays. Almost every ‘Gringo’ we met had a beard.
A BEARD IN THE CARIBBEAN… NOT THE BEST IDEA
Click in the picture and see how I sweat… erghh
One month already passed since we left Germany and the beard is growing like hell. I have very thick hair, almost like straw. Maybe not the most beautiful hair in the world, but at least I have hair, right? 😛
Bad thing about thick hear is that you sweat like a pig. It is sooo damn hot in the Caribbean, even without a beard. I really had no clue how I should survive the next days . . . weeks . . . months 🙁
So, if you wonder, why I still did not shave. I have no idea. Maybe it was because Liane liked it. She always says it makes me look more like a real man. (At this moment during writing, Lars makes the famous ‘Tool Time Grunt’ and Liane is just shaking her head)
AFTER TWO WEEKS
Oh man, luckily we found a job in Lanquin, Guatemala. Why? Well, because it is in the mountains and it is not so hot. Believe me, after two months you already have a proper beard.
As we were working at the bar in a really cool hostel (blog), I wasn’t sure, if there was too much hair in my face. I couldn’t hide myself and my beard in front of the guests. I mean, the beard is in your face, you can’t wear a cap or a jacket and it’s gone. Anyway, I really have to say that almost every comment on my beard was positiv. I really think the ladies like it ;).
Does a beard really make you sexy? I think so, as long as it looks neat. And that’s the PROBLEM. You can’t eat a burger or drink a shake without having half of it in your beard. But that’s not the only problem. Insects and spiders love your hair and start to build their nests. You think I am joking? I think I had a whole family of day flies, having a great time, in my beard. . . and yes, I do take a shower every day!
IT’S GETTING EVEN WORSE
90 days later I would have had no chance to enter an airplane. I was thinking of changing my name into ‘Lars Bin Laden’. The comments on my beard were now slightly different :).
‘Hey Taliban!’ or ‘Hey Lars, when is the next flight to NY’… oh come on! That’s mean!
Not every man with a beard is a terrorist. But anyway, I have to say the beard began to make me really angry. It was hot and it didn’t look good anymore. That was a bit too much beard now.
And then, after exactly 100 days, Liane took a last picture of me and my hairy friend, called face. I took the scissors and… I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t cut my beard. I stood at least half an hour in front of the mirror and was fighting with myself.
Should I really get rid of it?
Do I really want a baby face again? Just because some people call you a terorrist and insects are already waiting to move in?
I didn’t know, so I did the only right thing. I trimmed it. Now it was a cool beard again and I was hoping for more nice comments! 🙂
MY CONCLUSION
What? You really read my little short story? Oh man, thanks! I really appreciate it and I am sorry for the at least 100 mistakes in it.
So, what is my conclusion about growing a beard? Well, I have to say you should really do it someday – yes of course, just if you are a man 😉 – and why?
Even if it’s just growing a beard, it absolutely gives you the feeling of freedom. And that’s priceless!
Thanks for reading!
