Tribes...

I'm a bearded man. Just putting it out there for those of you who haven't glanced up at the profile picture, or those who did and just assumed I'd lifted a shot from a serial killer fan-site. Bearded men in Australia, perhaps world wide, seem to own membership of a covert society made up exclusively of the facially hirsute. I like to call it the fraternity of bearded men.

As I ordered my coffee this morning at 'Fundamentals' in Byron Bay the magnificently bearded man serving me enthusiastically embraced my company. This brother from another mother saw in my beard a kindred spirit and I felt included. Then on the bus out to Bluesfest day two Rory from Brisbane complemented my beard as he enthusiastically related his struggles to grow and integrate a beard into his own life.

Beards everywhere and I felt myself in the eye of a bearded storm!

Now many people would acknowledge football fandom as the Australian tribe most identified with. Walk into a pub within a team's geographical footprint and you'd better be fan of the wherever lions or the hereabouts crows. Failure to be a local fan or worse to support the opposition will at least garner disapprobation, at worst a swift blow to the head.

'The Beards' with me right of stage!

But I'm not sure football fandom is really tribal in the same sense as beardom. Once a week football fans don the colours and go a little mad. The rest of the time they resume their lives and pass through life unobserved. But communities do not rest, tribes do not disperse to offices come Monday and the bearded wear their tribal brand everywhere they go.

Australian band 'The Beards' epitomise the tribal camaraderie that is beardom. They sing of triumph and desire in 'I'm in the mood, for beards!' but also of the discrimination faced by bearded men and women in 'This beard stays'. And really that is the essence of any tribe.  

You may have your society of secret handshakes, winks and nods but have you spent even a fortnight growing a decent beard? Tribes require an initiation. You will know when you are welcomed; women or men you've never met will smile, stop you and chat because you are kin. 

But never forget your beardless past! We all long to belong, crave the acceptance of our peers. No one deserves to stand, chin bare, against the cold alone. Because belonging is a privilege, and one we should extend to all our beardless brethren. Fully one half of the planet's population can't grow beards and yet without them no beard would ever exist!

Having a beard gives us a responsibility; to extend the warmth we feel with everyone we meet. Let no one miss the warmth of our embrace, or the rash of our pash!