Day 60

Day 60. December 30, 2012

I spent some time today looking back at all the posts I have put on this blog. I’m incredibly pleased with the growth of no only my beard, but of my writing style. I went from a couple lines a day that just said, “hey my beard got longer. Good day,” to outrageously long posts like the one I had last night. This one will be another like the latter. I started getting into philosophical points on Day 7. I’m going to make a list here of all the things I learned throughout this experience, and, through me, I hope you learned as well.

 1.       Find something that means a lot to you and stick to it.

 2.       Figure out your weaknesses, and work to strengthen them.

 3.       Never compromise who you are, no matter what anyone says or thinks.

 4.       “The sooner you embrace change as an inevitability, the better time you'll have.”

 5.       Find any and every excuse you can to come together with your family.

 6.       History is being written right now, and you are closer than you think to having a full page in the history books.

 7.       Take every chance you can to do the right thing. Your original plan isn’t always the best one.

 8.       Live every day like it’s Thursday. (Day 29)

 9.       Love as much as you can. Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and live by it.

 10.   Embrace the bad times, because, without them, the good ones don’t seem as good.

 11.   “When things seem the most difficult, that's the point in time where you need to stop worrying and start believing.”

12.   Even the saddest person in the world could take a step back and find something to be thankful for. 13.   “We're all put on this earth with a message to share, and it's somewhere deep inside us. It's up to us to find that message and share it with the world, because it's pretty special.”

 14.   No matter how busy you are, time stays consistent.

 15.   Surround yourself with positive people. It will rub off.

 16.   Take time to help someone in need, given the chance, no matter how busy you are. It will be worth it in the end.

 17.   The world needs more love stories, and it’s up to us to write them and live them.

 18.   Time is precious. We don’t know how much time we have left. Make every moment special.

 19.   The news is just a story without a conclusion. We need to be the ones to write it.

 20.   Surround yourself with people who you can have the best time with, no matter what you’re doing.

 21.   Miracles happen every day. Maybe not in the form you’re expecting, but they do.

 22.   Everything happens for a reason. Never lose hope. God is always with you.

With all those things in mind, I sadly, but lovingly bid you all adieu. This is my last beard post, and even though it's all coming to an end, I'm just happy that I could reach all of you through this medium. My beard was the main reason for starting this, but what kept me going was all of you. Keep being yourself, and never let anyone stop you from being the best you that you can possibly be.

Day 58-59

Day 58-59. December 28-29, 2012

So yeah I missed posting last night. To an extent, I'm a firm believer that the later you wake up in the morning (or afternoon), the better night you had, and this is true for me other than those times where you're having deep conversations with someone who is incredibly unhappy with you, which I'm sure we've all been through, but let's just call that the exception that proves the rule. This is coming from me, a guy who never parties or does anything illegal, outside of the harmless forkings. Friday night was an adventure, with a bunch of the guys finding a new place to hang out in a town we really weren't familiar with. When we meet new people, they immediately know we're fun-loving dudes. We were invited to go out and get plastered, but we decided against it, since we get silly enough just from being tired at 3am, and alcohol would just, quite frankly, make things dangerous, I imagine it like when Ricky Bobby thinks he's on fire, only we're all doing it in a very small area with a lot of breakable objects. It's funny how things happen for a reason, because me being up late turned out to set me up with a great conversation with someone I don't talk to enough, and this wasn't one of those aforementioned unhappy ones, it was quite the opposite. Like I was saying, I woke up at 1 or 2 pm after the craziness, which isn't too bad, all things considered. Today wasn't as exciting, going into the blustery snow to get wine coolers for new year's for my mom and her friends was the most exciting thing that happened (and just so we're clear, my mom never drinks either, and this is just for new year's). The lull from all the insanity gave me a chance to think about the upcoming changes, the main one being the year, but for most people, it's a new beginning. Every year, I make resolutions, and, over time, I lose all of the zeal that I had when I first made them. Sticking to things like that has been a big issue for me over the years, but I'm hoping that the experiences I've had keeping this blog for this long has been some foreshadowing of what is to come. Maybe one of my resolutions will be to keep my resolutions going. Hopefully that makes things harder to go back on. It seems like in years past, I have hit the new year ground running, with a good setup around me and a firm head on my shoulders, but this year... I'm not sure. I'm not saying that I don't have those things this year as well, but maybe it's just me wanting more out of life as time goes by, which I think we all should. I've told many people throughout the past week that I'm going to make sure 2013 is the best year I've ever had. It will be. I'm going to make sure of it. Resolution Revolution 2013. Make it, don't break it.

Day 57

Day 57. December 27, 2012

Lo and behold. I have clearly taken another step (or two) toward becoming an outward hipster nerd, and not just an inward one. You will note my battle-bear hoodie, which I enjoy thoroughly, since it's ironic and crazy. It seems to me that, looking back at the past few posts, I haven't talked about the actual beard in a long time. For those of you who don't have beards, which I assume is a few of you, I can tell you a couple things that you would think aren't necessarily true about having this thing on my face. One thing is that a lot of people have asked me if it's itchy. While I have had some problems with skin irritation in the past, this version of my beard has been nothing but glorious for me. It does keep me very warm, and I am extremely happy to have it in this crazy, blustery winter time. People have asked me if it's hard to keep in the definite shape it seems to be in. Actually I don't trim a whole lot, and I think that would be a lot more obvious if you were to see me in person. I have been asked if a lot more people find me intimidating with the beard, and my answer to that is that a smile seems to get rid of about ninety percent of the intimidation factor. I have had to deal with the fact that, relaxed, my face looks sad, for my entire life. I've been able to fix that by just smiling all the time. Then again, smiling all the time seems to fix a lot of other problems as well. That's all I have tonight. Sorry for those who were looking for something more philosophical tonight, but I figured a break from that would do us all a little good.

Day 56

Day 56. December 26, 2012

So 2012, yeah it's almost over. Is it just me or did the year just kind of... yeah. Part of me thinks that way, but part of me thinks that so much happened this year that I am an entirely different person than I was before. I shouldn't say that I am different because of the experiences, but I should say that I learned more about myself, and I'm happy that I am where I am. I do believe I once heard someone say that experiences don't change people, they reveal them. I could see where someone could argue both sides to that. Maybe I'm misquoting it. Either way, I think the year was the most life-changing for me, then again, each year seems to outdo the last for the most influential for me, which is a good sign I think. The people who sit idle and let life pass them by can argue that they didn't let anything bad happen, but those of us who go out and let the world shape us as people, we're growing and changing. Yes, a lot of experiences are ones that hurt us and test our faith, but can anyone really say that those negative experiences didn't make them better people in the end? Life is funny sometimes, and awesome sometimes. That being said, I wish to inform you guys, the readers, that I am so blessed to have you, and, with yesterday's post being the most popular I've had, I find it a little hard to say that Day 60 will be my last post on here. On that day, I will be looking back and going over the main points from the posts I've put on here. My goal was to help people through this, and if not that, just to give someone something to do. I am so happy that I have you guys, or else this whole thing would seem ridiculous and pointless. Rest assured, though, that even though the blog is ending, I will continue growing the beard. Someone mentioned a 1 year beard, and I couldn't say no to that, so believe you me, I'm moving forward. :)

Day 55

Day 55. December 25, 2012

Ah yes, Christmas Day. The only day in the year where I will voluntarily wake up at the crack of dawn without absolutely needing to. I reading through my Facebook news feed over the course of the day, from the midnight hour, where everyone posts their special personalized "Merry Christmas" status, expecting to get tons of likes for their attempt to spread the cheer, to the statuses and photos people post when they find out Santa brought them their special gift they always wanted, to the ones at night where people let the world know that the movie they just watched, in theaters or at home, is the greatest movie of all time. That being said, Les Miserables was one of the finest works in cinema history. I went in with the highest of hopes, and I was still blown completely away. My friends made fun of me, because, at several points throughout the movie, my sensitive side took over, and I was brought to tears. I keep telling myself that that rarely happens, but more and more works of media are doing that to me lately (Doctor Who also caused that to happen awhile back). If you haven't seen it, please do it. You'll love it. And now I'm looking to find a date and go see Django Unchained. Maybe that will make me feel more like a man. As the Christmas season came and is now beginning its descent in our hearts, something comes to mind. People often look for and hope for Christmas miracles, and are disappointed when one doesn't show itself to them. I like to think that Christmas miracles are alive and well. The fact that we still keep Christ involved, the fact that family is still a primary focus, the fact that people are still out there giving instead of receiving, those are all Christmas miracles. I think every day we continue to live and love is a miracle. Cherish the life you have, the feelings you feel, and the people around you. Now, that's something miraculous.

Day 54

Day 54. December 24, 2012

I woke up this morning with the hugest pain in my neck, and, more than 12 hours later, as I type this, the pain remains and has found a comfy home, it seems. You can tell from this picture that I walked around all day with my head tilted, like I'm trying to model for some beard-based monthly magazine (get me a subscription for that gold). That aside, Christmas Eve is always a day where my whole family comes together at my house and acts like a bunch of nutcases, since, well, that's what we are. I was able to step back at one point in the day and really think about how lucky I am. There are very few people in my family that live farther than a short drive away, and that has resulted in a great closeness. I can confidently say that I blame my family for me being the insane person I am today. The best point in the day, in my opinion, was when I heard my cousin's friend, who joined our family today in the festivities, say that we have a wonderful family, and we helped her make Christmas special. It's the kind of thing you can't entirely appreciate until an outsider (for lack of a better term) comes along and sees it from a new perspective. Merry Christmas everyone. :)

Day 53

Day 53. December 23, 2012

Christmas is so close, I can almost taste it. You would think that Christmas tastes pretty good, but it's actually very bitter. That's probably why we cover it up with cookies and sweets and stuff. There was literally no meaning behind what I just said. I'm just tired and saying things for the sake of saying things. I've been spending the last three days almost entirely with all the bros by my side. Now, the next two days are set aside for family, as they should be. With no real special gift on my mind and nothing I want more than anything in the world this year, I feel like it'll be a lot easier to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Charlie Brown will be proud of me. Oh and Jesus too.

Day 52

Day 52. December 22, 2012

Yet another amazing day of what was essentially entirely bro-time. We know how to have a good time. It's amazing how you can do the same old things with the same people in the same places, but the fact that it's not fresh in your mind makes it like a whole new experience. The thing about true friendship, at least I think, is that even though you're doing the same things in the same places, you always find something different that makes it feel new. Maybe that's what I'm looking for in a long-term relationship with a female. You know, with the girls I've been with, it's always been about going long distances and doing new things to keep the spark there, and keep things going strong, and that's all well and good because it means you care enough about the other person to do that much for them and go that distance, but sometimes it's just better to snuggle on a couch and watch a movie or sit and talk. A friend of mine always says that constant talking doesn't mean you're communicating. I'm also reminded of a quote from Scrubs, where the guy says to his girl, "if I had a choice of hanging out with anyone in the entire world or sitting at home with you eating pizza watching a crappy TV show, I'd choose you every time." Those are the relationships you need to hold onto and never let go.

Day 51

Day 51. December 21, 2012

I'm pretty exhausted. I missed the spur of the moment bro nights that we used to have. We rekindled the awesomeness tonight, that's for sure. We had these big plans to drive to a town a half hour away to play in a card tournament tonight, but apparently, winter storm Draco (pretty metal right?) had different plans entirely. I was really bull-headed at first, and was determined to drive there. I got three feet out of town and knew it wasn't worth the fight. We ended up just staying in and just having a grand old time. As I type this, the excitement has finally reached its first lull, and it's 4:30 in the morning. Three's Company just came on, and ice is hitting the window so hard that it sounds like angry kids are throwing snowballs at it. This, my friends, is a recipe for no sleep. Wish me luck.

Day 50

Day 50. December 20, 2012

As I write this, it is about twenty minutes into the day that the Mayans, Nostradamus, and most impressionable people deemed the very last. I'm sitting here watching television, and it seems pretty ironic that a lot of the episodes of these shows are the ones where their lives all pretty much come to an end. Of course, they come out of it, because, if they didn't, what kind of television would that be? It would be the news. Yeah I said it. The news is just a storyline without a conclusion. Maybe that's what the world was looking for. All we ever see is the conflict part of the storyline, but we're probably never going to see the conclusion, at least not in this life. Our lives are just all sub-plots in the big book of life. Can you imagine how big of a book that would be? I'd like to see J.K. Rowling try to write one that big.

Day 49

Day 49. December 19, 2012

I know I've been getting all philosophical and attemptingly transcendental at times in this blog, and for those who don't like that, I apologize, because I'm about to go there one more time. Even though I don't believe we're all going to die on Friday, the media likes to poke fun at it and we've all been made abundantly aware of the fact that the idea is out there. We can sit here and laugh at it, or we can look at it as a chance to grow and learn. Think about it this way, what if you only had one more day left to live? Where would you go? What would you do? What would you say to whom? I've made a point over a few of my posts to take leaps of faith and make your story one that people will want to tell, but the shear reality of it is that we don't know how much longer we have on this planet. As a religious guy, I have seen a lot of people put off things like religion, believing that there's always more time and it upsets me. It's not until tragedy strikes that we look at time differently, like it's so little and precious. What if we didn't need some kind of life-altering tragedy to make us want to change the world? Something to think about.

Day 48

Day 48. December 18, 2012

Well I made the next step toward being a complete hipster. I ordered big ol' glasses with thick plastic frames. People have gotten on my case before about being a hipster, but the look hasn't always been there. I'm getting fitted for a slouchy beanie and a scarf next week. The excitement is palpable, and tastes a bit like strawberries. My beard is going incredibly well, and now it's to the point of moving as a unit. I can't think of a better way to put it, but it's very thick and it feels fantastic. One of the very first statements I made on this blog was that people with beards seem happier, and the same goes the other way around. Today especially, people randomly gave me smiles in passing, and I think it helped me have a much more positive day. Let's just say things are going quite well. On a side note, I have this thing where I feature a different wristband every year. I choose a wristband on January 1st of the year and I wear it every day until the next year begins. You will note that I have the same wristband on in every shot in this blog. If someone wants to recommend a wristband for me for next year, please contact me either on this blog or via Facebook. Thanks a million.

Day 47

Day 47. December 17, 2012

Top three things I've been thinking about. 1. It's almost Christmas and it hasn't been snowing a whole lot. Al Gore looks smarter than ever right about now. 2. If you paused your life, and you were able to take a good hard look at yourself, how funny would your face look? Pauses always bring out the funniest faces. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself. 3. I'm about due for another great love story. I've seen, read, and even lived some great love stories throughout my life. Lately, I haven't seen a whole lot of it. We've been hearing in the news about all the hate in the world, all the pointless killing and all the lives affected negatively, but where's the love (my homage to the great JT)? Maybe I'm feeling a teency bit sour about what's been going on in my life, but I do honestly believe that the world needs a great love story to bring these people back from all of the negativity. We're all going to live on, no matter how dark the world gets, but how much darker does it need to get before we ban together and love each other like we should? I hope I'm not coming off too dark tonight, because I'm really trying to inspire here, and I hope I was able to make a positive effect on each and every reader. Thanks for your time.

Day 46

Day 46. December 16, 2012

Days 44 and 45 will live in infamy, this I am sure of. The one day I didn't post a picture, the other I didn't do a blog post. I apologize to everyone for that. Now that I'm at home, it's harder to be around and post every night. Spending a lot of time with the family or the bros, and that gets pretty late at times. Anyway, the apocalypse is coming up. Do you have anything planned? I'm thinking I might have a get-together and watch the world go up in flames while munching on some snacks and sippin'  Mountain Dew (the poor man's Chardonnay). I sincerely feel like people have been putting off Christmas shopping because, in the back of their mind, they're afraid of the upcoming apocalypse. How does that make any sense? It's not like you get to keep all of that money when you're dead. But in all seriousness, I don't believe in that stuff and I think we're all going to be fine. If nothing else, it's another excuse to have a crazy party and get silly. That's the spirit.

Day 44

Day 44. December 14, 2012

Yes, you are correct in believing that there is no picture for this particular day. The reason for that is that my phone is currently messed up and I am trying to fix it, and since my phone is how I take all of these pictures, I can't get one tonight. I am sorry to everyone who was looking forward to seeing my bright and shining, but also hairy face today. Hopefully tomorrow, ladies and gents. I had a fun time today, my first legitimate day off in a long long time. I got to hang out with a bunch of middle schoolers at a church function, and it was cool being an adult-type of person in a place where I was always a youth. I wasn't really an adult though, more like the crazy guy that's just hanging out because there's no better place to be. Haha. No but really it was a good time. I would do things like when someone asked what movie we were watching, and it was clearly "The Grinch," I answered, without missing a beat, "Shawshank Redemption." I then spoke like Morgan Freeman for a good while. It's fun to be the guy who just says crazy things and nothing else. I could get used to it. :)

Day 43

Day 43. December 13, 2012.

Boy howdy. I apologize in advance for this one. I have been burning the candle at both ends, and I have even somehow found a third end and burnt that one out as well. I'm just dead right now. This is has been the longest week ever. All things considered, though, I had a great time, and I am so excited for the future. I kind of lost myself near the end of the week, with certain finals not getting 100 percent of my attention, but you can't win them all, I suppose. I'm just glad to be back home, and maybe I'll get to see some of my friends here soon. The moral of the story today is that home is where the heart is, so your real home is in your chest. That's all I have. I'm gonna go into a coma for awhile. Peace out.

Day 42

Day 42. December 12, 2012.

First things first, this is going to be a hurried post, even more just putting what I think down and not looking back. I have another looooooong day ahead of me tomorrow, and I need my sleep, stat. I just want to say how I feel about something, and it's kind of religious, so for those of you who aren't into that, I apologize for speaking my mind (not really). One of my main beliefs is that, no matter how busy you are or how little time you have, if you take the time to help someone in need, God will help you through the things that you need to get done. Everyone nowadays is so into their schedule and getting things done on time with no interruptions, but that's no way to live. We're given the opportunity to help people in need every day, believe it or not, and if we keep our eyes open for these opportunities, we're gonna spread that joy. Those little things you do for people, the results are exponentially bigger than the action itself. You can make someone's day just by spending a little bit of time helping them. Something to think about. And now, I sleep.

Day 41

Day 41. December 11, 2012

Today was the longest day I have had in a long time. The funny thing about music majors during finals week is that, even though we may not have that many finals, we practice like crazy. At least that's what I have seen. Today had no finals on the agenda, but I spent literally 10 straight hours at the music building working on this and that. I noticed today that a lot of what I was doing had to do with who I was with. I've always been a firm believer that people are a result of their surroundings, whether it be because of them or in spite of them. If you surround yourself with people who work hard, you're probably going to do the same. There was one point in the day where I was just doing my thing, and I came across the Bible study group that I attend every once in awhile, but I had been missing a lot recently, and, just going with the flow, I decided to join them and get some coffee. It kind of energized me for a couple more hours of practice. It's one of those things where you need to go with the flow and not be afraid to try something different, and if you're hanging around positive people, you're doing to have a much better time. Simple ideas, but it can make big changes in your life.

Day 40

Day 40. December 10, 2012

Shoot dang. Forty days. I feel like Moses... hair and all. It's to the point now where the hair looks acceptable from a distance, but when you're close up, you notice a few brave hairs trying to stand out from the crowd and be heroes. I don't know which hair on my chin instigated a revolution and is making them reach for the sun, but I will find that bugger and pluck it. Mark my words. If I hear, "viva la barba," come from my chin, I don't know what I'll do. Anyway, I realized quickly after my audition today how lucky I am to be a music major around this time of year. Finals are rough, yes, and we have juries, sure, but every week is insane for us, so we're pretty used to it. I'm feeling really good about how things are going and I'm looking forward to getting my stuff done and getting out of here. I caught the fever, Christmas fever I think. Then again, that may be hypothermia. Did I mention it's cold out?

Day 39

Day 39. December 9, 2012

I think this is one of the more sinister pictures I have taken throughout this whole process. It may be the look in by eye, it may be the clear tiredness in my face, or it may be the classic "evil twin" facial hair I am rocking. Something I have noticed throughout this stressful time of the year for us college kids is the overall characteristic of time. Time is a crazy thing. It moves at the same speed, and yet we feel like days "fly by," or that certain moments in our lives last forever, as if time was slowed down or even stopped just for us. Obviously, this isn't true, but we can't help feeling that way. What I've noticed about finals over the years is that, within a week, we have to cram a couple months worth of knowledge into a couple of essays, bubble sheets, and performances, but the week is still just a week. We stress out that we only have a week to do all of this work, but as quickly as it comes, it's over. At the end of the week, we're reeling, but we can't help but notice that it came in like a lion, and out like a lion with its mane all messed up. The moral of the story is that the lion lived, and the gazelle didn't sleep a wink that night.

Day 38

Day 38. December 8, 2012

I honestly wonder how apparent it is to all of you readers that I literally just ramble in my head and type this out as I go. I have no planning process for these. Of course everyone probably already knew that. Anyway, today was awesome. I got to see my parents, since they came out to watch me perform in a concert (yes I play the trombone, and yes I love it). I always set aside time to thank God and my lucky stars for all of the things I am blessed with in this life. People tend to dwell on the negative, and you can't blame them because it's human nature, especially during finals time, when people are most likely to bite your head off. I mean, even the saddest person you know could easily take a step back and realize that they have a lot to be thankful for. We're all put on this earth with a message to share, and it's somewhere deep inside us. It's up to us to find that message and share it with the world, because it's pretty special. :)

Day 37

Day 37. December 7, 2012

For me, 37 is the number where, if I see it, and I know that there are 36 prequels to the thing I'm seeing, I finally start to think that things are getting a bit excessive. 37 is the number where I finally accept that I have been at this for a long freaking time. It's like when "Now 37" came out, I finally said out loud, "this needs to stop." I mean, I had thought it for a long time, but 37 seems like a good cut off between acceptable and excessive. If you're still with me in this journey, I thank you. I know there are a lot of you left and I am eternally grateful. My beard is creeping up my face, and I might need to trim it down to an acceptable Hezekiah style strap, but you will note that Hezekiah will be a married man, since I refuse to lose the 'stache. I had a fun Friday night, playing cards at the local shop. Tonight someone had the idea that having a beard was the key to success, at least in gaming, and I couldn't agree more. With a beard, the sun shines a bit brighter, and that's incredibly inspiring.

Day 36

Day 36. December 6, 2012

Just think about it. At this time next week, I will be at home to start a 6 week hiatus from anything and everything school-related. It's pretty nice. That was the good news. The bad news is that there's still a week left. Yes, I know. That was one of those classic M. Night Shyamalan plot twists. Anyway, it has been apparent to me since the beginning of this whole blogging process that there are a few people out there that don't like that I'm doing this blog. Now I know what you're thinking. Who wouldn't wanna see this mug on their news feed every night? I know, right? Now, I have a history of being kind of a hipster (see previous blog post image), so doing things for the sake of being different has been a consistency in my life. I don't want to say that I do things in spite of people's opinions, but they certainly don't hurt what I do. This blog is just the result of three obvious facts about my character. 1. I don't mind being put in the spotlight and having people see a lot of me. 2. I try my best to be completely transparent, and I want people to know me at a deep level. My life is an open book and I like that. 3. I have a beard. With these three facts on the table, I don't foresee this blog abruptly ending just because someone doesn't like it. If one of those facts ceases to be, then we'll talk.

Day 35

Day 35. December 5, 2012.

Yes. I decided to go "in-Cogswell-nito" tonight for my late night practice session. They hype is on. For us music majors, this is the week some of us love and some of us dread. For me personally, this is probably the most fun week of all. There are auditions, juries, playing tests, theory exams, reports due, and I am just loving every moment of it. What makes it all worth it for me is the audition process. Competition has always been something I have enjoyed, and I oddly don't think I get enough of it here at IUP. Yes, the members of the trombone studio are always pushing each other to be better musicians, but, above all, we're a big family, at least I think. There's that one day a semester, however, when we're giving it our all, and we're all on our toes until the results have been posted. I wish I could feel like this all year. I need to start up a pickleball league or something.

Day 34

Day 34. December 4, 2012.

I am beyond burnt out. Let's call it burnt in. You can clearly see that from my photo here. Awhile back I had compared my light scruff to looking like a dirty old bum. Now I regret saying that, since I now believe that the true dirty old bum from inside me is showing his true colors. I had the stirring urge to tie a handkerchief to a stick and hop one of the thousand trains in Indiana today. Now I finally understand why. With the most stressful time of the semester upon us, I am hearing from a lot of people that they're stressed for seemingly no reason. I think it's just rubbing off from a few people, since some of us are more stressed than ever, even if this week is one of the easiest in awhile. I always like to give a smile to random people I walk past, believing that it may have a butterfly effect and just make someone's day somehow. And if you're having trouble cheering up, grow a beard. It helps. That means you, ladies.

Day 33

Day 33. December 3, 2012.

Man, I am exhausted. A little word to the wise (and the not so wise, you know who you are, or maybe you don't), procrastination is only fun 95 percent of the time.  For me, today was the absolute realization of exactly what I have get done in two weeks time, and as daunting as it is, I try to keep my head up. I told a friend of mine this today, and this is something I'm going to live by. When things seem the most difficult, that's the point in time where you need to stop worrying and start believing. In beard news, I'm trimming the neck every once in awhile, and the beard is coming in quite nicely, with a few long hairs here and there. It's not quite to where it used to be before I started this whole thing, but we're getting there. Also, I want to welcome any new readers to the site. I hope my words are entertaining, and I hope that when you leave this page, you will have taken something to heart. :)

Day 32

Day 32. December 2, 2012

I'm so happy that this weekend felt like it went on forever. You don't often have that, but God has blessed me with a lot of time to really think about the upcoming flurry of work that procrastination has navigated me into. Stay in school, kids. Crack is wack. [Every 80's pro-establishment cliché.] A beard is really the only option left for those of us who want to fight the power, because finals are the school system's way of keeping us in line. They could push us the same throughout the whole semester, but instead they chose to push us a little bit, then make us sweat for the last two weeks or so. I don't really mind though. Without those hard times, the good ones wouldn't seem as good. Good luck to everyone in the final push of the semester. May we all pass our finals and still have time for tea. Quite.

Day 31

Day 31. December 1, 2012

This is where I decided to go the extra mile. I've been hearing people talking about how they shaved off all of the hair they grew over the month, and I'm thinking to myself, "what's the point?" Were you just out to prove to yourself that enough testosterone to grow some scruff before the winter finally comes? I just don't quite get it. I'm excited with how the beard is going. It's finally long enough that I can grab and pull it, which is good and bad I guess. Also, I can now get food stuck in it, which, of course, is 100% a good thing. There's nothing the ladies love more than a man with macaroni from yesterday in his beard. But in all seriousness, beard hygiene is important. Having as much hair as I do, I can assure you that maintaining a clean head of hair isn't easy, but it's entirely necessary. For those of you new bearded men out there, try conditioning the beard. You never know when some stranger will just come up to you and feel your face. It's happened to me on several occasions over the past month. Weird, right?

Day 30

Day 30. November 30, 2012

It seems right that I'm home tonight. I live 2 and a half hours away from where I go to school, so being home for even a few nights is an oddity outside of vacations, but, through an odd turn of events, I'm here. As I type this, my computer tells me it is now December. The beginnings of months are always interesting in my mind, but this one is much more than that. I learned a lot over the course of this month. I've grown a lot, and my facial hair isn't far behind. As we approach the holiday season, my message to you, the reader, is to just love as much as you can. The holidays have become so much about material objects and thinking about oneself, and it's hard not to get sucked into that, since we're only human. But my challenge to you is to tell someone close to you that you love them once a day. It doesn't seem like a whole lot, but it means the world to people, trust me.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Happy December. Things are about to get very interesting. :)

Day 29

Day 29. November 29, 2012

I love Thursdays. So much has been accomplished throughout the week and you have a chance to pat yourself on the back for a job well done, while also having only one day left until the end of the week. Thursday is the embodiment of hope, I think. People don't just pull hope out of thin air, and oh yes I know we all wish we could sometimes. We get it from looking back and finding a reason to move forward. If I can look back and clearly see my body of work throughout three days this week, who is to say I can't finish it off with just as much, if not more, panache as before. We're no longer tired, but just so hopeful, and I love that. I wish every day could be Thursday. I try to live my life like it's Thursday every day, always trying to make that push to the end of the week. The point of all this? Not sure if there is one. This was my excuse for looking so smug in this picture. Happy Thursday. ;)

Day 28

Day 28. November 28, 2012

Yes yes, please enjoy the chest hair today. I immediately realized after posting this picture to my Facebook that I may have gone too far, so I'm most likely gonna keep a shirt on from now on. Anyway I am extremely burnt out after a long day. I was in a great mood again all day, which I thank the beard for. Went to the gym for a much needed workout session, then I watched a couple episodes of Doctor Who, which I am falling in love with very quickly, but I'm not too happy about it, since another distraction is the last thing I needed with finals week quickly approaching. Anyway, I just want to give a little advice tonight. Take every chance you can to do the right thing, even if it's not what you originally planned. Maybe there's another plan out there that turns out with you being happier in the long run. All you can do is live like there's no tomorrow, because who says there has to be one?

Day 27

Day 27. November 27, 2012

So remember how I said my beard was taking over my face? Yeah it's interesting that I noticed that because now I'm noticing that the normal jaw-line hair is slowly connecting to odd patches of hair I have under my eyes. It's like trying to solve a 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle of white kittens in the snow, and, after a couple of months of working on it, you finally understand that you wasted your time doing something utterly meaningless. Okay it's absolutely nothing like that. It seems that I've been using this blog to express life lessons I learned that have nothing to do with beards, and I feel like continuing that pattern today. I read a quote or something on someone's Facebook that talked about how the past is just a story, and it's the present and future that matter, how the past shouldn't determine who you are. I think that's pretty cool, especially if you think about it like I have been. People grow up in history class with the idea that history is made up of the great things that happen in life, but as you grow up, you realize more and more that history is being written right now, and those unattainable things that you read about, those historical figures that have always been like legends in your mind, that could be you someday. Pretty cool stuff. Thanks again to all of you loyal readers. I couldn't do this without ya. :)

Day 26

Day 26. November 26, 2012.

I realized today how tantalizingly close, and yet how far away we are from Christmas. Yeesh. I have said before (yesterday) that a good emotional day may make the beard grow more, and now I'm going to make the claim that cold weather also makes the beard grow more. The difference between that claim and this one is that this one makes a little more sense; it's basic survival skills. I looked at this picture and looked back at the first picture, and it's like a different person, like the beard kind of takes over my face. It may be a Samson effect, because I'm just feeling much more positive now than I was feeling at the onset of this journey. Here's to 35 more days of growing (and many more).

Day 25

Day 25. November 25, 2012

Please excuse my tardiness in publishing this post. A lot of stuff was going on and a lot needed to be done. Trying to take advantage of my time at home before heading back to school for the remainder of the semester. Since that time, I have made my journey, and I am back for the push. I'm feeling good about how things are going, and the beard is a good indication of that. I'm a firm believer that the beard grows more after a good day. There may be some science behind that, with something about endorphins or something, but I'll leave that to you to figure out for sure.

Day 24

Day 24. November 24, 2012

So Thanksgiving is over. Black Friday has come and gone. This is the day that the entire country takes a day off and tries to work past this eating and buying hangover we put ourselves into. I think it's even comparable to December 26 in that vein. Most of the day was boring, but tonight was bowling and late-night steak night, which is a new tradition that I may bring back to school next week. You will note that the neck hair is growing back quickly, which means another trim is on the way very soon. The hair is working its way up my face, and I'm excited that the hair is continuing to grow, even if it seems like very little every day. December is going to be a very hairy month. ;)

Day 23

Day 23. November 23, 2012

Before I say anything else, the outfit can be explained like this. The hard hat was for protection from insane Black Friday shoppers, and the rest of the ensemble is just straight up stylin'. There were four guys in our group today that all wore matching construction hats, ugly blazers, and ugly ties, and we do this every year just to get crazy looks, which I personally love and embrace. We had a great time today just being nuts, but in a good clean way (I need to differentiate, because the older I get, the more people assume "being nuts" entails things that are dangerous and illegal). All I know is that I have been up for about 17 hours now and I am beat. In beard news, I trimmed my neck and it's already stubbly after about two days. Now I need to trim again soon. Hair is funny sometimes, huh?

Day 22

Day 22. November 22, 2012

Ah yes. Thanksgiving. It was pretty awesome getting to see all of my family in one place, which rarely happens anymore. It's a sad process going from childhood where the relationship with your extended family is pushed and stressed to when you get older and everyone goes their separate ways, but it makes those moments where you're all together again that much more special. People often complain about how holidays have all been so commercialized to the point where that's "all they're about anymore," but I like to look at the positive and notice that we Americans still use holidays like Thanksgiving as excuses to all come together, because we need excuses to see our loved ones (idk). Either way, I'm thankful for thankfulness. In beard news, my stache is connecting to my beard, which normally happens after a long process of growing, so I am excited.  :)

Day 21

Day 21. November 21, 2012

I will say that today I officially have a beard back, just in time to get a bunch of delicious food stuck in it; yes, Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Today went well. I went out with some friends and went bowling and played cards, while most kids my age are drinking and getting high. I enjoy the alternative route, regardless of what it might be. A picture was taken of our shenanigans cosmic bowling, and the shadow cast over my face, making it look like a had an incredibly dark and vivid beard, which is exciting, and I am looking forward to the future, because when my beard grows in, it is extremely dark. Mmmmm. Delicious.

Day 20

Day 20. November 20, 2012

Greetings loyal blog enthusiasts! Proud to say that the blog is doing quite well, and I am very glad to welcome readers from South Korea and Germany. Thanks for the support of hairiness. :) So yes you may have noticed that a lot of hair has vanished, or at least moved. After my haircut yesterday, I decided to trim up the neck, and I'm glad to say things are looking much better. The clean neck makes the hair on my chin look that much more impressive, which it really is. I'm glad with how things are going this month, and I may just continue this into December. Who's with me?

Day 19

Day 19. November 19, 2012

I told you there would be a surprise on the 19th, and here it is. Ah yes, I got my haircut. I've had better, I've had worse. I'm just glad there's one person on this planet that can cut my hair and not make a total mess of it (I can't say the same for the floor though).  With the back of my neck finally feeling the breeze, I feel like the front needs to feel the breeze as well. I have made the executive decision to trip up the bottom of my neck for the family gathering this Thursday (Thanksgiving, to the late man). As soon as tomorrow you'll see a cleaner neck area. The scruff will stay up top though. If you want to ostracize me for "selling out," please save yourself the trouble. I wish it could be different too, but the show must go on.

Day 18

Day 18. November 18, 2012

The times, they are a-changing. Yes my beard is getting longer, and yes you have the pleasure of seeing it happen little by little, but there are those moments when you see someone that you haven't seen in a long time, then you realize that not everything progresses as slowly as that beard you're seeing posted on Facebook and this blog every day. I went to my home church for the first time in a long time, since I have been at college for awhile, and it was so interesting to see all of the changes. Whether they're good, bad, or lateral, big changes over time always leave you kind of shaken. I think it's cool that that's what happens. You see someone you haven't seen in awhile, give them a big hug, then, in mid-hug, you mutter to yourself, "who am I hugging?" Obviously that wasn't the case today, since I had only been gone for a little while, but the point here is that change is a huge part of life, and the sooner you embrace change as an inevitability, the better time you'll have. :)

Day 17

Day 17. November 17, 2012

Different locations, same old story, same old song and dance, says Steven Tyler, back before he was a sell-out. Low blow? Most likely. He can't grow a beard, but his massive lips make up for it. The lighting in this shot makes it look like I have less hair than yesterday, in my opinion, but I assure you that the facial hair is going strong. Less and less chin is visible every day, and that's good, because, as you know, I have an extremely weak chin, thanks to my father, who has had a beard since he was 18. I'm gonna join the Brothers of the Brush soon. It's a secret society, but you don't know that. It's whatever.

Day 16

Day 16. November 16, 2012.

Well here's a change of scenery. I don't like how this is the first shot that isn't like the rest, and I'm sure you're not too ecstatic about it either. I am glad to be home though. Tonight's picture was posted late due to the fact that I was out playing Magic like an awkward teenager. My beard is back and thriving. Be afraid... Be very afraid.

Day 15

Day 15. November 15, 2012

Well, the official consensus amongst my peers is that my beard is back, which also means I am back. No longer will I go to stroke my beard and instantly burst into tears at my thoughtless whiff due to lack of chin hair. Definitely feeling more like a man than I have all month, which makes sense, considering this is the longest my beard has been (durr). I'm looking forward to going home in about twelve hours and seeing my family, and watching their reaction to my hairy arrival. It's all downhill from here... or uphill... the good one. :)

Day 14

Day 14. November 14, 2012

Oh dear, I am feeling scruffy (and prom is tomorrow! jk). It is official; the blog post for day 19 will feature a curveball, but I will not say what it is yet. You'll have to tune in to find out. Anyway, today I started getting into the backhand upward scratch (a la The Godfather). Pretty bad hair day today, and I think people are starting to notice how truly unkempt I am becoming, since I'm getting a whole lot more stares from strangers than I am used to. I'm at the point in between scruff and beard, and now I'm seeing bald spots pop up that I hope fill in soon, like the one right under my chin, but I am notorious for that always being bald, so that's probably not going to change. Gonna head home for break in a few days, and I'm looking forward to the disappointment when my mom sees how awful my neck hair is. Teehee.

Day 13

Day 13. November 13, 2012

I took a good long look at my beard in great detail today, which I hadn't done in a long time. I actually believe that each and every one of you see more of my beard than I do on a daily basis. I just kind of ignore it, then I have little bouts where I notice significant change, then laugh at how ridiculously I grow hair. Maybe you can't tell from the picture, but it's getting longer, to the point where it's no longer sprouts of hair, but rather long strands all throughout, so my skin is getting more and more covered. It's cool just watching the outline grow into an actual beard. I miss the beard a lot. I want it back. I might take that growth hormone I previously mentioned, because I wanna be rolling like ZZ Top by Christmastime.

Day 12

Day 12. November 12, 2012

This post needs more twelves. 12 12 12 12 12. I think I'm over it. Psyche. 12. Anyway, today went well. I can see a significant darkening from yesterday. I think people are being nice telling me that it looks okay around the neck area, but I can't help but think that it just looks ridiculous. 12. Luckily, I don't have any big performances or job interviews coming up, so it won't be a big issue. I will probably get a haircut soon though. The scruff will make my barber want to call Ralph on the big white phone. 12. I'm not the creator, just an innovator of the craft. I legitimately believe that if I took some sort of growth hormone, I would die from suffocation from my own hair. Think about that and try to sleep tonight.

Day 11

Day 11. November 11, 2012

All right. My sincerest apologies for my tardiness and lack of length in my last post. Risk is a heck of a drug. Now then, I noticed today that I'm past the 1/3 point, at least through November. This is the point in time where I'm starting to see my face get eaten by my hair. Also, I'm gonna have to start explaining to people that I'm not shaving for a reason, and my awful facial hair isn't just due to lack of interest in razors, or some sort of boycott of Barbasol. We're making the transition from bum to drifter, which is pretty interesting. I keep making references to this beard scale in which "bum" and "drifter" are levels. I decided that the highest level of that scale is "ZZ Top," which I don't see happening this month, but you never know. ;)

Day 10

Day 10. November 10, 2012

Sorry I'm late. 7 hour game of Risk. Need sleep. Beard got longer. That is all.

Day 9

Day 9. November 9, 2012

My neck is disgusting right now. Up top here is a good shot of how awful my neck is getting. The itch is on and off, and it's definitely manageable. It's just funny how I'm realizing more and more how much of a female repellent I am becoming. The neck beard certainly isn't helping, that plus the card playing and the whole trombone major thing I have going on. It's fine though, I don't mind. Being who you are is absolutely worth it no matter what, even if you're a repellent. I have a lot of fun with it.