I tend to find that a reply like "I've never understood why so many guys
are ashamed or embarrassed to look the way that God INTENDED AND WANTED
for adult men to look!" shuts up a lot of the critics. ;-)

Jerry wrote:
> 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.)