This is highly recommended, a series where I provide a compelling argument for why you should like something that I like.

Dear Reader,

I’m having one of those days where I’m trying to figure out what to do. And not really on a practical level: I got up this morning, I went on a run (which after a night of Chinese food and Narragansett tall boys didn’t feel that great), I made breakfast, I took a shower, I put on some clothes, walked down the block to the Franklin Ave. subway station, stepped on the number 2 train when it arrived and went to my office, which is where I’m now writing this.

I’m trying to figure out what to do in a long-term sense: what I want to accomplish, what kind of reputation I want to have, what kind of legacy I want to leave behind. All of that really fun, tangible stuff to think about. But as I struggle with the trajectory of the rest of my life, I decided to take a more immediate step towards long term growth. A step that doesn’t require me to visit a therapist to sort out issues with my suffocating fear of failure. A step that’s a little itchy.

I highly recommend trying to grow a beard.

Why?

Not Shaving

Listen, I know that men have it really fucking easy in the grooming department compared to women. But shaving sucks. Every time I do it, I mess it up – I cut myself, I miss a few hairs, I generally don’t leave my skin glowing and smooth. Sure, this might have to do with my shaving ability (or that I was never properly taught how to shave by my electric razor wielding father) or my general lack of patience with it comes to tedious grooming tasks, but shaving never really seems to work. So taking a little bit of time off has been mentally rejuvenating.

Doing Something By Not Doing Something

It’s not often that this is possible. Or, it’s not often that this is possible and results in a good thing. (You could cause your favorite neighborhood sports bar (that you never visited, but that’s besides the point) to close because you never visit. Not that I would ever do that.) Not shaving is resulting in a normal amount of hair growth on my face that some people might actually find attractive. And with the extra efficiency I’ve gained, I can focus on doing things that have a positive impact, like trying to find a creative outlet that’s viewed and enjoyed by more than ~7 people on a weekly basis.

Cultivating A New Look

You’ve got to stay on your toes when it comes to being an influencer. (I have influenced decisions before, so I consider myself an influencer.) And while having some signature pieces in your wardrobe helps people remember you as an icon, you can’t rely on those pieces to keep you popular forever. Evolution is important, but gradual evolution is key. You can’t changes things up overnight. But when part of your new look is sporting a beard and it takes you more than a month to even come close to what might be considered a halfway decent beard, you embrace it. When you do it to stay influential, it’s worth it.

Something To Look Forward To

When you hardly ever do anything fun and you’ve already achieved the bare minimum of what was expected of you by the time you were 26, you learn to look forward to the little things. I’m looking forward to the day where the situation around my jawline looks more like “purposeful growth” than “too lazy to shave for three days”. And when that finally happens, I might post a legitimate picture of myself. (That’s never going to happen.) Maybe I’ll finally become a model. (That’s definitely going to happen.)

Having An Excuse For A Bad Beard

If I’m being completely honest, this facial hair experiment is not going to end well. (I’ve been growing a beard for five days straight and it still looks like I shaved this morning, so I’m not entirely optimistic about my chances. Also, this isn’t the first time I’ve given this a shot.) But when fellow pedestrians and co-workers look upon my unshaven face with disdain, I’ll have an excuse – this beard isn’t ready yet. Because when you’re constantly “trying” to grow a beard, it’s never ready (and never has to look that way).

There’s got to be one thing you don’t like about trying to grow a beard.

Having A Really Shitty Beard

Like I said, this isn’t going to end well. I’m just going to give up and try again later, thinking that an increased level of maturity will improve on the patchy, blonde hair that pokes out of random spots on the lower half of my face. It won’t. I’m never going to be a “beard guy”.  

But maybe that’s ok. Maybe I can become the “always trying to grow a beard guy”. That’s a unique take on a popular phenomenon. Maybe that becomes my schtick throughout the rest of life. Everyone is drinking pumpkin flavored drinks? I’m more of a squash latte man. Chunky dad sneakers? Closed-toed dad fisherman sandals. Every attractive male has a nice beard? I’ve got a horrible one.

I’m glad that it only took one blog post to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. Now the next time I feel so directionless, I know how to fix it. (I’m never going to therapy.)

love,

nicholas