6 Part Series. My Love For Beards - The Braw Beard Story - Pt 2 of 6
Getting To Know JJ In More Depth.
For me personally, growing up I was always surrounded by people who had beards.
My
parents loved rock music, so naturally, my choice in music became rock.
Almost every band had someone with facial hair in the lineup.
Many of my family members also raced motorcycles. There were always bearded bikers hanging around in the pits.
I’d see beards on a daily basis, cd covers, magazines, posters and in-person being worn by people I admired.
I couldn’t grow a beard fast enough. At a very early age, I needed that shit to happen now.
I remember my Granny and Grandad took my sister and I for a day trip to Edinburgh. I was about 12-13 yrs old.
We travelled on the train from Longniddry to Waverley in Edinburgh.
As you approach Waverley, there is a long dark tunnel, when we went through the tunnel something happened.
I noticed my reflection in the window, the light in the train versus the dark tunnel outside let me see a shadowy reflection of myself in the glass.
The distorted light and shadows made my jaw dark and highlighted my cheeks.
Add in teenage imagination it looked like I had a short beard!
I stared at my reflection for a while and I loved the trick that light was playing on my imagination.
“As soon as I can grow facial hair,” I thought, “I’m letting it grow long and strong.”
At 15 I had sideburns and then a goatee which was shit!
I didn’t even care though because I was committed. I stuck with it, growing it in various shapes and styles simply for the love of it.
Since the age of 15 I’ve been clean shaven only 3 times - twice for Movember and the third time I ballsed up my beard trying to trim it. Fucking nightmare!!
So I think it’s pretty easy to see that I am not some “hipster” or some “bro” wearing a beard until GQ magazine tells me that it’s not “fashionable” to do so anymore.
I’m just a guy who loves his beard to death and as it stands now, I plan on taking it to the grave with me.
More tomorrow!
Thanks for reading.
JJ.