the power of the stache

I’m not sure why, but it seems to me that men under the age of 30 40 have an unexplainable infatuation with the mustache.  no matter how much my mind attempts to understand their fascination with said facial décor, it is stalled by the distraction that is the mustache and remains only an attempt {with no mark of completion}.

I was under the impression that the mustache had almost ceased to exist come the turn of the century.  it was a thing of the 90’s {and previous decades dating back to who-knows-when} … at least for men under the age of 50 … and for Tom Selleck.  now, don’t get me wrong, I have never had a problem, per se, with the mustache.  in fact, when I was little, I grew so accustomed to the dark, fringed lip of my father, that when he shaved it off, I thought my mom was in bed with another man.  needless to say, the day my dad shaved off his mustache was a bit traumatizing for the confused little girl that I was.  who was that strange, smooth-faced man?  I knew him not.  obviously, those feelings of doubt left the moment I realized, it was, in fact, still the same man. {thank the Lord}

but now, in the year two-thousand-eleven, soon-to-be-twelve, the mustache still exists.  talk about staying power.  I mean, how many decades have women tried to convince men that their upper lip does not need concealing; that it does not make it look bigger or smaller, or whatever the desired affect is … how many?  I don’t know the answer to that question, but I’m guessing it’s a lot.

yet, for this younger generation that is proudly donning the upper lip fur, it seems to simply be a statement piece.  again, I have no idea what that statement might be, but it’s a statement nonetheless.  is it the “I don’t dress for women” statement?  or the “I can pull this off because I say I can” statement?  again, who knows?  only the mustache wearer himself.

the obsession has even hit the even-younger-generation … and by that, I mean, jr. high.  yup.  it’s hit the ages of boys that have yet the ability to grow facial hair.  Last week, the jr. high youth group at church celebrated “mustache thursday”.  wow.  and how?

now, I am the first to admit, I like a little scruff on Erik.  the 2nd day shave is my personal fav.  and I don’t complain when it grows beyond the 2nd day, because, well, I think he’s cute regardless.  but the other day, I came home to something new.  I came home to this chops/stache/combo-thing:

{and yes, that is his, “don’t make me laugh so I can look tough in this picture” face}

interesting, hu??  I just laughed and documented it for 30 years from now.  and all that to say {about the mustache}, he shaved it off the next day.  not the whole thing, just the upper lip; leaving chops resembling Wolverine from x-men.  my giggling persisted a few days later until he shaved the rest.  I kind of felt bad when he shaved it off, because he seemed to like it so much. 

I’m just considering the mustache {and facial hair altogether} as one of those things that women will never fully understand about men … until we meet the Lord.