4 THINGS EVERY BEARDED MAN CAN RELATE TO

I love my bushy red beard, and the chances are if you sport some face fluff yourself you'll be rather attached to yours as well.

Being a bearded gent, we are often compared to various to pretty much everyone else who happens to have a beard. In fact there are many things similar to this that only the bearded would know. So, today I wanted to lightfully discuss a few of these, as we begin...

US BEARDED ONES LOOK ALIKE ACCORDING TO THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE A BEARD, APPARENTLY!

It's true, us bearded fellows often get noted as looking very much alike. Sometimes I can see it, whereas others I would have to argue otherwise. Me, myself have recently had several comments made by friends and even complete strangers suggesting I look much like the new singer/songwriter recording artist known as Rag and Bone Man. Granted, I may be a little on the heavier side and also have a beard, but I don't see it. Although props to the guy, he's one heck of an artist, so I'll simply take it as a compliment rather than anything else.

ANY BEVERAGE SPILLAGES ARE INSTANTLY ABSORBED BY OUR BEARDS, BE IT GOOD OR BAD!

So, you sit down with your morning cuppa, and take a sip a little too fast and spill a little something down your chin. Worry not, your beard has you covered, as it instantaneously soaks up the spillage, hiding it away like a squirrel storing away in the winter.

Although you may have avoided anyone noticing the spillage when this happens, that doesn't mean that it has magically disappeared, oh no no. Instead, it now sits on your face, before drying into a crumbly mess, that is unless you can get a napkin to that thing, and pronto!

ALTHOUGH THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL, BEARDS CAN GIVE THE WRONG IMPRESSION!

It's a sad state of times, but unfortunately beards do come with some form of stigma attached within the societies we live in. The first, and most obvious one is we who sport beards must be in some sort of biker gang or something of a similar standing, despite the good that many of them do. When truth is, we just rather like to have a beard. Nothing more, nothing less. It really is as simple as that.

A few months ago, I spotted an old dear struggling to carry her shopping to her taxi in a local supermarket. I decided to intervene and lend a hand, by helping carry her bags for her. The old dear thanked me for my help, and said 'You wouldn't expect someone with your image to be so kind' whilst gesturing towards my beard. At first I thought it lighthearted and just laughed it off. It wasn't until a little later when I arrived home that it got me thinking how negative some people still perceive beards to be.

Thankfully times are changing, as we now live in a more accepting world, although not everyone seems to have gotten the memo of this fact, clearly.

YOU'LL HAVE TO BATTLE FOR THE GROOMING MIRROR EACH MORNING NOW, MISTER VAIN!

And until next time, Beard on Brothers, Beard on...