My brother Andy is kind enough to read my drafts when he has time for anything beyond a demanding job at the Tampa Bay Times. He writes a column called Epilogue, which seeks to find a universal story in the life of Everyman. It’s a new twist on the obituary format and my brother is one of the best in the business. People who don’t share his DNA agree with this statement.
When Andy first read a version of Chapter 1, he rather huffily asked, “Why do you keep describing mustaches? Did every single man have one?” Um, well, yes. It was the early 1980s. Nearly every man had a mustache. Him included.
But why do I feel the need to mention the mustache on my male characters? His question made me wonder. Truth is, I don’t much fancy facial hair. In the late 70s/early 80s, a mustache was nearly inevitable. There were far too many beards, too.
Seems like the Millennials brought facial hair back in vogue for hipsters. Like any good fad, it’s been absorbed so far into the main that the carefully costumed Duck Dynasty crew can now use theirs as a brand.
The appeal is a mystery. If you’re not Tom Selleck or Burt Reynolds, I think you should probably shave. But that’s just me.
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