The Mustache Diaries

As I write this entry we currently sit just over two weeks into our fuzzy fundraising. I think the Thanksgiving holiday helped to spur some growth on my upper lip as my stache seems to be more easily noticed and has even received a compliment or two. It is altogether possible though that the thicker appearance is just a result of leftover gravy and stuffing. Doesn’t matter – I’m going with it.

The holiday weekend proved itself to be both very lucrative for the cause and enlightening for me personally. On Thanksgiving morning I stumbled upon an old photo album containing pictures of my dad and his friends just before I was born – mid 70’s. Great pictures. But more importantly, everyone had a mustache! With these photos serving as a primary source, it was easy for me to conclude that the mustache was the be all end all of men’s style in Long Beach during this decade. A little research into television and movie stars of the era clearly shows that the trend extended past the borders of just our town.

I have come to learn that mustaches and the people who wear them are fun. So the 70’s must have been great. What would it have been like to be a part of this generation of men coming of age in a society that appreciated a bit of upper lip decoration?

This question was answered over a period of a few days… starting with Thanksgiving dinner. Something felt different this year. It felt good. Everyone seemed a bit more relaxed. Had the food changed? Were we pouring drinks a little heavier? A more immediate reaction to the tryptophan? No. The difference was mustaches. My brother and brother in law are also proudly sporting the hairs of charity on their upper lips. Our mustache-induced tranquility seemed contagious providing for an extra groovy Thanksgiving.

My mustache inspired trip back in time continued at our Mustache Bar Crawl on Saturday night. The turnout was tremendous. A solid group of mustached individuals traveling in a pack. I wondered how we would be viewed by those coming into contact with our hairy upper lips. Would we be seen as creepy or cool? Scary or stylish? After all this was not a Saturday night in 1974.