Approximate Weight over My Life

Unlike for some people, becoming overweight has not been a problem for me, but I do find that as I'm aging, my weight does increase, such that one day it could be a problem. During my early years, I basically gained ten pounds each year, but I hit a plateau around high school and stayed there until just after high school; after gaining ten pounds in my early adulthood, I lost it when I moved out on my own. One-twenty was way too thin, but I couldn't put weight on. Slowly, over the years, it moved back to 130 and then 135.

I hadn't weighed myself in years and had always been skinny, so when I discovered that, somehow, I'd gotten up to 150 pounds, I was shocked. I actually put myself on a diet for a while, counted calories, got down to about 140. These days, I don't really count; I just try to get enough exercise and to not eat too much sugar. My weight seems to hover around 145, which is about right for my height and body type. I do feel a bit nervous about that, though, knowing I could easily creep up beyond what I should be if I'm not careful enough. All weights below are approximate.

No Beard Comments

I received quite a few comments on my beard. By contrast, after I shaved it off, I had quite a bit fewer comments, most of them all within the first week. The comments being mostly in the first week is somewhat understandable, since a beard takes a while to grow, so some people might just think, early on, that I forgot to shave and don't say anything. Still, I'm surprised how many fewer commented on the nonbeard. As with the last--and only other time--I've had a beard, most people who liked the beard said "Cool" when I had it; most people who didn't reserved there statement of dislike regarding the beard until after I'd shaved it off.

Beard Progression

So I didn't shave for eight weeks. Here were the results by week, for weeks 3 through 8 (unfortunately, I didn't think to take photos of weeks 1 and 2):

 

Beard Comments

I grew a beard about seven or eight years ago. This past winter, I decided to grow one again. There wasn't the same kind of angst as the first time I grew it. I was just being lazy and trying to avoid cold. Still, it's been curious people's reactions, most of whom don't remember the six months I previously had a beard--or maybe they do, since fewer people have commented on it this time around, it seems, as can be seen in the following chart, denoting the first time a given person has made a remark about my beard:

People I've Been Compared With

I've been compared with seven people that I can remember: Woody Allen, Jim Carrey, Todd Solendz, Orel Hershiser, John Malkovich, the Peter McNichol character on Allie McBeal, Michael Stipe, and David Bilowus. The latter is a "church" celebrity (a chorale director), not one most people would know outside my faith. McNichol's character probably does have a similar personality, and I'm not terribly bothered by that. I think the only comparison I was ever flattered by was Malkovich--he's a kind of attractive guy.

Anyway, if we break this down by what these people actually do, what they're famous for, acting of course comes out at number 1, and it's the profession most in the public eye, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.