I'm not exactly new to the group. I was on here for many years, then
quit, and came back only recently.

I've read comments going back to about 2 years here.

Old Hippie, I'm sorry about your beard being destroyed on that
camping trip over a year ago. I hope that it's sufficently grown
back by now? And please do be more careful in the future! :)

I also read comments about how crappy many "people" are when someone
TRULY different comes along.

I have experienced this myself TOO many times over the years.

It's mostly grade school and high school age kids.

They think they are sooooo unique and sooooooo different, that they
are the FIRST generation to EVER be so different!

But they're nothing more than a junior BORG collective, as they see
me and occasionally make their not - so - cute remarks like:

" Hey faggot! Are you a rabbi or a terrorist?"

" Hey, Grampa, I thought long beards went out with the 19 th
century?"

You can use your imagination, because I won't list more such remarks.

This is how our primitive world is: Most humans think that they are
so unique and clever, and that NO ONE ELSE but they has thought yet
to say or do the things which they and say and do.

You'll see ads on tv to " Be yourself", but those are only phoney
garbage commercials, made just to get everyone to show how much an
individual they are, by buying the same stupid products that most
everyone else is already buying!

So when guys like us come along - with long or VERY long beards and
hair come along - and with different thoughts and attitudes - and we
are TRULY different in many other ways - what do many of these
people do?

They freak out. Differences often make people very uneasy.

I've noticed "adults", well into their 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's,
looking at my beard and giggling about it with friends while I'm on
public transportation.

You'd think that, at those ages? They'd know better.

But stupidity knows no age barriers.

This crap really used to bother me enough, so that, on certain
occasions, if a gang of teenagers followed and threatened me( The
cowards! Always many against the one! ), I would go home and trim my
beard short that same day.

Yeah, the crap would ease up for a while after that - but then, I'd
feel like shit afterwards because I'd compromised my appearance and
my ideals because of what others said and felt about me.

I didn't see THEM doing that for me, changing themselves or altering
their appearance to please ME, so, by the time I turned 50, I
decided that 50 was TOO old to do that anymore.

I no longer trim my beard due to the remarks or actions of any
dissatisfied members of the collective anymore. I'd sooner get
killed for ACTUALLY being an individual, than live to be 90 because
I faked being one of them, just to fit into a society that mostly
doesn't want me anyway because I'm gay and have always been
different inside!

It took me 50 years to get to that point, and I'm damn proud of it.

I also read the comments here on using baby shampoo. I'd used Selsun
Blue on my hair and beard for years, leaving my long-ish beard a
tangled mess. It got sickening, always smoothing it down by hand. I
won't use a comb unless I'm holding the lock of beard in hand as I
comb out the offending tangles, so as to prevent pulling out beard
hairs, but that is not terribly efficent. I'm going to shower today
and try the baby shampoo.

Glad I have a mostly filled bottle of it on hand to give it a try.

An online friend recently suggested that, by wearing my beard long,
I am actually conforming to being a part of the " Long Beard
Collective."

I disagree. I used to look at the "naked men with long beards" in my
mother's art books since I was 4 years old, and knew then that I
wanted a long beard when I grew up!

I just thought the look was awesome and manly, powerful and
artististic looking. It gave an aura of manlieness and power, and
even of wisdom, too.

And, even if I am part of a smaller collective of a sorts, what's
wrong with that?

At least this one is not out to absorb everyone, or destroy or
ridicule others who do not conform.

And how do I feel about all the men who don't wear beards in our
society? The many blah faces who are clean shaven for life?

I really don't care, as long as they leave me alone for how I choose
to look.

I just want to be me and get through my day with as little crap as
possible. The same as everyone else, in THAT respect.

Sometimes it takes a LOT of courage to just be yourself in a world
that mostly consists of a Hive Mind - perhaps more courage than the
Hive itself can muster as undividuals.

The End.

(For now.)