Do I keep my beard?

A random question, I know, but it’s one of those late night things that I thought, in the absence of anything actually insightful or intelligent to say, I might as well just put out there in the universe and see what comes back.

(Quick update before the inanity begins, I have now written a prologue and four chapters for Realmborn 2, and I am just awaiting my test readers all coming back to me on Metal Blade, which I hope to be available soon. Feel free to leave reviews for Silver Soldiers or Realmborn on Amazon, and if you’ve not read them yet, why not?!?!? Details of where you can get them are on their individual pages on this website. Right, enough serious stuff, on with the inanity)

Now don’t get me wrong, I love my beard, I truly do. But I do get bored quite easily…I’m one of those freaks of nature who, when clean shaven, has a five o’clock shadow at eleven in the morning, and once got told by my headmaster to stand closer to the razor next time I shaved…I was 13 at the time. So it doesn’t take me long to grow facial hair, which does mean that the temptation is always there, when slightly bored with it, to just shave it off and start again. Which I’ve done, on a regular basis, for years.

(The sole exception is the sideburns. I’ve had sideburns since I was twelve, and I will have sideburns the day I die. That is non-negotiable.)

The flip side of finding it so easy to give in to the boredom and shave it off is the agonising regret and Shaver’s Remorse the following day. I always forget this when I come to shave off my beards, and I always remember it the following day when I look in the mirror and wonder who the bald-faced bloke is staring back at me.

So this time, this time, dear internet reader, I have decided to only shave bits of it off. I am going to go for something interesting, probably tomorrow (or later today, as I notice that the old clock has just ticked past midnight), assuming my nerve holds…

So here are some options, from which I may draw inspiration:

1:

Sam Elliott, the man, the legend, the awesome moustache. And I’ll happily wear a hat and speak in a far more gravelly voice.

 

2.

Kurt Russell, when he was in Tombstone. Again, hat optional, I guess.

 

3.

Kurt Russell again, this time as he appeared in the Hateful Eight (great film, btw, loved it). Could I pull this look off with my lack of a thick mane of hair?!?!?!

 

4.

Robert Downey Jr, as Iron Man. Or, well, as Tony Stark, really. But still, cool beard.

 

5.

Bruce Campbell, because I love him. I also think I could pull off this facial hair look with relative ease…

 

6.

Colin Farrell. And another look I think I could pull off…facial hair-wise. Obviously not looks-wise, don’t be ridiculous!

 

7.

Random man found on the internet with Batman’s bat symbol as facial hair. Looks a little tricky, but my eldest son would love it!

 

8. …

Last but by no means least…how cool would this be?!?!?!?!

 

Anyway, should anyone feel like expressing an opinion you can do so using the comment section on this site, or if you’re reading this on FB just leave a comment there, or you can Tweet me, or  Twitter me, or send me a Twaddle or whatever the terminology is, @deastmanauthor

Hope everyone reading this is well and looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

Stay Frosty, People.