Rob

Bearded since: 2011. I am a dedicated, permanent beard grower.

Comments:
How? It resulted from not being able to shave during my Iceland trip this spring.
Why? To put it bluntly: it separates the men from the boys. My wife and even some female co-workers gave me compliments and who doesn't want that!

And I think it's also a bit rebellious. I'm a firefighter and in the past, beards led to leakage of contaminated air into the masks of the breathing apparatus. However, today the masks are slightly overpressurized so it's not that big a deal anymore. But traditions (being clean shaved) in the fire department do not easily change.

How do I feel about my beard? Grrrr...Bear growl and wolf howl!