Yeti no more

Shaved my beard and cut my hair yesterday.  Had been growing for nine months, so the whole experience was as close as I come in my life to gestation and birthing something.  Feel lighter and a whole lot cooler.  Feel, however, that something missing (like my chin) so let June 23rd, 2008 be set as the new first day back to full growth.  It should be an interesting nine months.  If you see me in the meantime, please do not point and laugh.  

Don't really know why I as growing it out.  Many people assumed I was protesting something or making a point with my beard.  Honestly, I just got tired of shaving on a daily basis.  In the end, I think that I grew out my hair and beard to make the statement that I no longer care what anyone else thinks of me.  In my recent trip to St. Gregory's Abbey, looked over some of the sayings of the Desert Fathers.  One of them stated that a holy man who had been in silence for years was alerted that an important person wanted to hear from him.  The holy man's response was that if the person could not hear their silence, they would not be able to hear his words.  I guess my philosophy was, then, if you couldn't accept me hairy, you won't be able to accept me clean-shaven.  My wife, however, is remarkably happy with my clean cheeks, my clean upper lip, and the ability to see the back of my neck.