What's Matilida's take?

Fortunately she's still at the stage where everything is constantly amazing. So the beard was there and then it was gone! Voila! Where'd it go?

JZ found it much more disturbing the last time I changed glasses. That created an uncannny valley effect.

My freshman year of college, I switched from glasses to contacts during winter break. A guy in my dorm who I was kind of friendly with didn't recognize me.

JZ found it much more disturbing the last time I changed glasses. That created an uncannny valley effect.

Actually, the last time but one. The current glasses are great. It was the in-between glasses that freaked me out: the spare pair with the big lenses and clunky frame that you had to use when your old cool glasses broke but before we could afford to get you the new cool glasses.

Those in-between glasses? Of the devil.

Facial hair, meh. And, anyhow, you'd trimmed the goatee down to a mere suggestion of a goatee, a faint whisper on your chin vaguely reminiscent of a goatee, many weeks earlier. The actual removal was not so drastic after all that.

Teppy brunette? Adorable. I know you didn't feel like you, but you rocked the look nevertheless.

Best comment I got after shaving: "You look okay. It's not like you have a turtle chin."

bon-bon-without-glasses is similarly disconcerting.

bon-bon-without-glasses is similarly disconcerting.

Yeah, but bon has the advantage of being superpretty.

So your disconcerting options are Superpretty With Glasses and Superpretty Barefaced.

Whereas I am apparently either Hairy Faced Like Is Right And Proper or Not A Turtle Chin.

Hairy Faced Like Is Right And Proper

I was thinking Attractive And Sexy (Like Is Right And Proper).

Whereas I am apparently either Hairy Faced Like Is Right And Proper or Not A Turtle Chin Cute and Boyish.

There, fixed it for you.

Cute and Boyish

I endorse this style. Besides, the other way Hec was starting to bear a getting-much-too-close-to resemblance of Colonel Sanders. Who was far from cute and boyish, much less sexy.

Besides, the other way Hec was starting to bear a getting-much-too-close-to resemblance of Colonel Sanders.

That was the other factor. When I first grew the goatee it was darker and added some contrast to my pale features. As it got white, it made me feel too grampa-ish.