I’m Making a Massive Change This Saturday

For once in my life, I am not looking forward to a Saturday night. Although I will be hanging out with a great group of people and skiing at one of the best resorts in the nation for an entire weekend, I will be ending a relationship on Saturday. I will be saying goodbye to a companion that has been with me for the last few years. Through thick and thin, tough times and incredibly awesome times. A friend that has been apart of defining "The Brad".

This Saturday, I am shaving my beard off.

As soon as I could grow it, I have always had some sort of facial hair, mostly a goatee. Then I started in on the beard and let that get better and better with age. Once I could grow a full one, it was on.

With all the talk of No Shave November and Movember in recent years, I wanted to go one step further. I made the decision in October 2012 to grow a yeard (Year+Beard=Yeard).

Fast forward to February 2013 and about 5 months into the yeard process: I told a fellow beardsman about my plans and I challenged him to do the same. I barely remember that conversation or that hairy dare, but my friend gladly accepted and the yeard challenge was born. Part of the agreement was to shave them at the conclusion of the year. Again, I barely remember this and blame my friends, Jack, Jim, and the concoction known as a 'John Daly' for allowing me to agree to such terms.

12 months later, outside of my mustache and a little cleanup on the upper cheeks, my face sweater has continued to be untrimmed. My friend has a mighty fine yeard and I have kept mine going an extra couple months in support, but now it is time to man up and dust off the razor.

It has been about 7 years since I have been without a beard. Now, in just a little over 72 hours, I will be beardless and I am not looking forward to it.

Here is a photo with my fellow bearded bastid the evening that we decided on the yeard challenge. March 1st 2014 will mark the beginning of our second yeard. Happy Bearding.