September 21, 2017 - Handlebar Mustache

If you've been into our office this past year, you've likely noticed my new facial hair. I started growing my mustache last year. I was complimenting a friend on his stache and he pointed out that he started based on Nathan Alford's challenge.

For their 125th Anniversary, the guys at the Tribune started growing their mustaches out a year in advance and they put a challenge out to everyone in the Valley to grow one too with the end of the year culminating in a big party or "Stache Bash" at their new printing facility (pictured below is Butch Alford, myself, Nathan Alford and Rob Minervini). Now I would not have normally gone for growing a mustache, but knowing some of my buddies would be doing it and it'd only be for a year, I figured it'd be fun to try.

stache
 
stache 2
 
stache 3
 

 

It was tremendously fun. There were plenty of days where I really felt I was born to wear it and I know I'm just irrationally justifying it, but it seemed to me that all sorts of fantastic things started happening since I began to grow it. I pointed out to my Rotary club for example that the city of Lewiston was able to pass a bond for a new high school this year, something our community hasn't done since 1909, when the popularity of the mustache (even among US presidents) was at it's absolute height. 

Now I do prefer the low maintenance of having a clean shaven face but I'm so glad I had a mustache for a while and it's not unlikely that it could have a comeback someday.