After a week of annual leave my boss came back to work today. As I walked past her in the corridor this morning I said hi, and she sort of said hi back, but as the words came out I could tell she wasn’t happy with something. Now I’m no mind-reader, but I’m pretty sure that something is to do with my fully grown beard, a proud new addition to my once young-looking face.

I’m liking it. In fact as I’m typing this with my right hand my left hand is stroking the hair around my lips. (Thats not meant to sound rude, but theres no other way to describe it.)

However as proud as I am with this furry animal on my face, as anything with life there is a bad side to all of this. You see I work in an office, and I’m worried my co-workers will presume I’m depressed or losing the plot. When you think about it, only tramps and those guys who play in bands have beards. Office workers generally go for the clean cut ‘I’m a boring guy in a broken marriage’ look.

Beards can do so much for a man’s face. They can add character and a certain amount of history. In fact they can turn you from an average joe to a fully fledging sea conquering pirate.

So if you you’ve given up with life to the point where you can’t bare to look in the mirror or you’re about to jump off a bridge, I’d say just grow a beard. Or if you’re really ambitious, a moustash 🙂