The Beard

I still have my beard. I'm letting it grow and get bushier for the winter and for Christmas in particular. I've taken to twirling dreadlocks in it. It's a pleasant way to spend some time.

This afternoon I was called out of one of my endless series of meetings to go and brief one of our ministers. He's a new minister so I'm not sure what he wants or how he operates. We shake hands and he says something like, 'we've met before, haven't we?' and I say 'yes, a few weeks ago when we spoke about the new information system'. That was a big meeting with a few people and all the men in suits, not a one to one with me in jeans and open-necked shirt. 'O' he says, looking at me a bit puzzled. So I say, 'it's the beard, isn't it?'. And he says, 'yes!' and starts relaxing. Then we both sit down and get on with the business.

Beards have many uses. Aren't they marvelous things?