Alan B.

Bearded since: 2008. I am an occasional or seasonal beard grower.

Comments:
I came across Beards.org, read the homepage, and read, "Logically, the question ought to be...Why NOT grow a beard?" I looked in the mirror and thought, "Why not?"

I completely agree with your statement that every man who is able to grow a beard ought to at least once in his life. I figured I would have lived a fuller life with more variety if I had the experience of growing a beard.

I also felt like there aren't enough beards where I live. Everyone has a shaved face, conservative haircut, and so on, and I started to miss the South, where I grew up--where men were men.

I had tinkered around before with mustaches and goatees, but finally decided to go all out and grow a full beard to see what it was like. I convinced my wife to give me six weeks as a trial period, and the rest is history.

How do I feel about my beard? It reminds me of my dad, who used to have a full beard when I was little. I was surprised to see how much I looked like him, which was nice because he passed away when I was twelve. It made me feel like more of a dad than I did before, because I guess I felt more of what it would be like to be in his shoes.

I like the fact that it is reddish, whereas my head hair is brown. That was cool because it is unique and it reminds me of my Irish heritage. I also felt similar to the other men on this site who mentioned how they felt more distinguished and able to do things because they feel like it without regards to what anyone else says.