14 Beards

You probably remember the Hindu story about the wise blind men who each touch different parts of an elephant.  They describe what they "see" or experience accurately - but each wise man's account seems to contradict the others'.  (I retold the story in my Identity Crisis poem.)  In a sense, we are all that elephant, and we are all to certain degrees both wise and blind.  Largely, we see what we want to see, or have been taught or trained to see by our upbringing, culture, personal experiences, relationships, etc.  Sometimes we're just lazy or afraid and therefore subconsciously decide to see whatever happens to be easiest or most comfortable or reassuring for us to see.  There is so much in this world to both like and dislike, to love and hate.  Some folks prefer the streets of Paris to the beaches of Florida, and some don't.  Some prefer the hills of West Virginia, and others wouldn't be caught dead there.  Some prefer Israel or China or Australia or Germany or Mexico or New York or California or Canada or India or Iran or Georgia or Georgia....  And while appearances do matter a great deal in some ways, in other ways they are meaningless - they are both revealing and deceiving, beautiful and ugly.  What one culture or era or person sees as attractive, another doesn't.  What these self portraits, all taken in the past few days, have to do with anything in these morning ramblings I'll leave to your imagination.





























I've since combed my hair and shaved my beard.  But I'll spare you more photographs.

Posted by Jesus Crisis at 12/14/2008 11:27 AM
Categories: Art and Photography, Religion and Philosophy

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  • 12/14/2008 11:40 AM Chris wrote:
    LMAO.... you are beginning to look like a sadhu or mountain man...

    Thanks for the smiles..

    I see salt and pepper sneaking into that beard of your... time is catching up with you my friend.. run... run.. before he catches you! LOL..

    Thanks for the chuckles.
    Reply to this
    1. 12/14/2008 12:17 PM Jesus Crisis wrote:
      Thanks, Chris!  As Bob Dylan wrote (and the Byrds reiterated), "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."

      Reply to this
  • 12/14/2008 11:59 AM Joy wrote:
    damn you seem so normal but this shows how crazy you are.
    guess we all are crazy, all us artists.

    You look great no matter what.
    Reply to this
    1. 12/14/2008 12:16 PM Jesus Crisis wrote:
      Thanks, Joy!  As Waylon Jennings sang, "I've always been crazy, but it's kept me from going insane."
      Reply to this
  • 12/14/2008 12:18 PM Dianne wrote:
    I never know what you're going to look like when you show up at the readings! At least, now I'll have idea of what to expect Tuesday night at Lix and Kix! LOL! I hope people won't be too disappointed by poor prosaic predictable me...!
    Reply to this
    1. 12/14/2008 1:36 PM Jesus Crisis wrote:
      Hah!  I still don't know what I'll look like Tuesday - might shave my head completely bald by then.

      Reply to this
  • 12/14/2008 1:08 PM HUUVOLA wrote:
    EWWW!!! ))) No!! Don't!! Why not cut it closer? You know, a little more metro-sexual? Okay, just my opinion. Not that it matters. But, the "flavor savior" hehe
    is always nice...What does the Misses think? Be honest!!! Just joking.
    Change is good. Bet it itches!!!
    Kisses to you!!! )))
    Reply to this
    1. 12/14/2008 1:35 PM Jesus Crisis wrote:
      Doesn't itch anymore... it's all gone!
      Reply to this
      1. 12/14/2008 1:58 PM Chris wrote:
        LOL... so the photos are a memento....
        Reply to this
        1. 12/14/2008 2:17 PM Jesus Crisis wrote:
          Wait til you see my Telly Savales head.

          Reply to this
          1. 12/14/2008 9:18 PM Chris wrote:
            That sgould be a first.. you'll need to wear a cap tp stay warm.. LOL...
            Reply to this
            1. 12/14/2008 10:03 PM Jesus Crisis wrote:
              I did it three times before... when I entered the Marine Corps in 1984, when I entered Lorain Correctional Institution in 1994, and a few years later when my significant other dumped me during my sojourn in Marion.

              Those were my Isaac Hayes, Michael Jordan and Yul Brenner phases.  So Telly would be new.
              Reply to this
  • 12/14/2008 1:59 PM Anonymous wrote:
    Who are you trying to resemble? Jesus,
    old Gray Beard or the Big Bad Wolf? I"ll huff and I'll puff till I shave my face clean? Please don't cut off your hair again. Maybe you want to look like the rest of your poet friends like John Dorsey. LMAO
    Reply to this
    1. 12/14/2008 2:02 PM Elena wrote:
      Sorry, I forgot to put my name in on the above comment.
      Reply to this
      1. 12/14/2008 2:19 PM Jesus Crisis wrote:
        This is how I looked when I met you in 1987, Elena:


        Reply to this
        1. 12/14/2008 3:33 PM Elena wrote:
          Yeah I remember that but you looked a lot like other guys in my classes with long hair. The difference was that you sat in the front row and never stopped staring at me. I called you Don Juan, remember?
          Reply to this
        2. 12/14/2008 3:35 PM Elena wrote:
          These pictures just crack me up. What a crazy look you have in some of them. But then I know you are an actor at heart.
          Reply to this
  • 12/14/2008 3:45 PM smith wrote:
    you'd make a good werewolf, or rasputin.

    the beard suits you.
    Reply to this
    1. 12/14/2008 4:39 PM Jesus Crisis wrote:
      Ha!  Thanks! 
      I think I'd rather be a werewolf.

      Reply to this
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