IM BOOKED - Busy Growing A Beard

My life is an endless turn of travel, good music, happiness, fashion, love and food BUT not necessarily in that order. If I had to add something else to the above mentioned mix? It would have to be my amazing beard.

You read it right people. I FREAKIN love my beard and all that comes with it. When I was in my early twenties, which by the way was about twenty years ago, I had a full on beard. Imagine how my home boys and home girls vetted me for having all that damn hair on my face. I personally thought I looked dapper and more importantly just like my equally dashing father.

My mother always says things like, "Boy you looking just like your dad" - What a compliment!! But being young and dumb I caved into the pressure and eventually cut it all off and went for a clean sweep of the face. I mean all I had to do was wash my face in the shower etc and didn't have to worry about maintenance of the facial hair. I eventually went with the goatee but would cut it off and it would grow right on back.

Im my own barber people!! Young, gifted and black!!

Fast Forward to twenty years later and I assume I was going thru a slight mid life? I'm not sure but anyhow, I gave it another go and started the process of growing it back out. My hair grows back fast and guess what? I am not blessed with the good hair that my parents are both blessed with or maybe its the continuous pressure of combing it? NAPPY ROOTS

Shrugs!!

The process took time and just like anything in my life. I took my time and slowly accepted that the process would take a good minute. I stayed the course.

But I gave it a go and found myself driving to Nashville to Trader Joe's to get that good tingly eucalyptus conditioner. LOL = YUP! Shole did but its cool though because my beautiful wife is a naturalista.*Is that a Real Word?* She has every product for that natural hair and as a added bonus? She is a freaking scientist so she knows how to mix and mingle it all.

She even helps me with the process of conditioning and trimming but I'm a pretty independent bruh so I handle it. LOL

My outstanding niece Khloe, who is my heart and soul, told me the following via Face Time "Uncle Murray, you need to shave asap" - I HOLLERED!! But I didn't give in because something special had happened. My beard had grown by leaps and bounds and before long the gray came in with the black and the dapperness *Is that a real word?* commenced.

There are famous dudes who have the PERFECT beards and I look to them when my frustration grows with growing and grooming.

INSPIRATION STATION

I'm hooked and I often can be found looking at other dudes going thru the same thing as myself. Its like a brotherhood around the country y'all and before long we end up speaking about what we individually use on our perspective beards. Im talking grocery stores, airports, parks, work etc- every dude with a beard does the following:

1. Stare
2. Examines from a distance
3. Eventually gives you props for a good beard.