Mild Epiphanies and Random Revelations #31

A Barber, a Blade, and Two Reactions to a Brand-New Face

Image created by author via Bing AI Image Creator.

I like a bit of wildness in my life. It stems from growing up atop a mountain, swathed in forests, cut and crossed by alpine rivers, and now, spending a week in the woods, camping wild with my daughter. I like staying in touch with primitive ways.

Back in civilization, I keep a speck of that wildness in my nonconforming ways. I’m 51, but I don’t feel or act so. I’ve kept a silver and black beard and longish, somewhat unruly hair for several years. The kiddo describes me as a lumberjack surfer; my wife abstains from categorizing my image but likes having me around.

I’ve worked physically demanding, blue-collar jobs as a professional chef, survived the oil rigs and toiled in civil construction, and for the past several years, I’ve found my space as a creative mind — a writer. Missus and kiddo are proud of what I’ve done and what I’m doing — they say it’s a bit wild.

Despite my willingness to stay rogue, time is unsympathetic, and the charcoal beard along my jawline turned to a pair of solid white tusks. Looking in the mirror, I saw the thinning hairline of an aging teacher more than a rugged rebel.

Yesterday, I decided to treat myself to a respectable haircut and, for the first…