Of Beards and Such

My first awareness of the use of the term ‘beard’ came from a tv or movie reference to a gay man taking a woman on a date to cover up the fact that he was gay from his family and friends. But I think there are many shades of beards.

I use my daughter as a beard when I buy her season tickets for Broadway Shows in Spokane. I say buy them for her, but it turns out they are just as much for me. I must admit I am a musical junkie.

I use my kids as an excuse to go to places like Disneyland. My problem is that they are growing up and don’t really want to go any more. I am going to have to admit my enjoyment of the parks without my kid crutch.

My husband uses our kids as his beards to go to every kind of kid movie. I am just waiting for the day neither of the kids wants to go any more and he will have to admit how much he enjoys those movies.

And then there is my son. In the full bloom of puberty, he uses a myriad of beards, all to meet girls. Going to the pool to ‘swim’. Joining the track team ‘to run’. Going to a church dinner ‘to learn about 'religion’. And this list was just from the last week.

I am positive that this trick of using others’ as our beards to cover our true motivations is widely used beyond my household. Of course I could be wrong and we could be the only people living in denial of our true motivations. Or you could admit you do it, too!