When I walked into the Brooks Center in Gorham to get myself some much-needed coffee, I didn’t expect to have a beard-sighting, but this guy was hard to miss. His bright-white, full beard caught my eye and my caffeine kick was no longer the priority. What I noticed about Richardson specifically was that his hairy attire was missing a moustache. His Amish-style full beard was too remarkable to pass up, and, strapped with only my Moleskine and an iPhone, I prepared to conduct a spontaneous interview.
I wondered the age of the beard as I continued to ogle. “GREAT beard,” I said with a beaming smile when he noticed my staring. “30 years!” he replied, apparently already on the same wavelength as me.
After explaining myself and my blog, I learned he has been a USM employee for four years. I asked him a series of the normal questions; how long he’s had it (30 years), how often he trims it (rarely), it’s low point (3-4 inches), it’s high point (about where it’s at now), it’s original color (DARK RED! A ginger beard!), etc.
I learned that, like my macroeconomics teacher, his wife of 21 years and three Maine children have never seen him without a beard. This is something I can appreciate, since I’ve never seen my dad’s chin either (does it even exist?) Richardson enlightened me with his personal beard hygiene. He usually shampoos his beard to keep it a clean shade of white that draws attention. Before this interview, I thought I knew everything about facial hair. Not once did I think about the shampooing beards. Of course!
Richardson said he’s never had any social problems with the style or length of his beard. He sometimes changes the style, usually by eliminating the mustache. But removing the entire beard is out of the question. “I’d freeze to death,” he said.
Yes, he has been mistaken for Santa and was offered the job but no, the Santa life is not for him.
He let me in on a couple horror stories, like when the dentist “buffed” his beard instead of his teeth, winding the tool around his tiny, sensitive hairs. Yikes!
Finally, I asked him if he has ever gotten anything stuck in his beard that he had not noticed. “Why yes,” he said, nostalgically. “One year at Cumberland Fair a woman came up to me and asked me if I normally kept bees in my beard.” (At this point I was picturing it in my head and almost obnoxiously burst into laughter). “I said no and she pointed out the bee stuck in my beard. She told me that if I had the patience, she would sift through my beard and get the little guy out.” I respect any man with animals, objects, or insects lost in his beard.
Richardson allowed me to take a photo. He’s got three kids out there in Maine, two of who are male and may possibly read this. Shout out to Richardson’s sons: If your father can grow a beard like this, I know what to expect from you. Get growing!
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NO SHAVE NOVEMBER is a beard-growing event for anyone who feels they can drop the razor for 30 days. The rules are simple. No shaving, trimming, or clipping is allowed for one month starting Sunday, November 1. Most men shave clean on day 1, but some trim it short and let it grow wild from there.
If you are up to the challenge, e-mail me at [email protected]. I would love to get a story and a beginning/after photo of you and your beard.
MOVEMBER is growing a moustache ONLY for the month of November. Like NSN, you cannot shave off the moustache. Yet, everything else must be shaved clean. No beards allowed. If you are more interested in growing yourself a sweet ‘stache than a big burly beard, e-mail me at [email protected].