I'd need to see a pic of the facial hair. Apologies if it's already been covered, but if you've worked your entire life, have plenty of money etc can't you afford a smartphone?
Personally I have a pretty pathetic amount of facial hair(yay propecia) which I grow out because I always wanted facial hair. I doubt anyone is impressed by it and I see enviable amounts of facial hair all the time, but I like the way it looks.. pretty sure everyone else can **** off.
I have no desire to bow down to the media-driven, commercialised, man-made bull**it, hence why I wont buy a smartphone. Hell, I run a basic car, have my own gym equipment, and thats it. Maybe its just a romantic, naive notion, but I long to live a nomadic life, in some ways(within the constrainsts(spelling?) of modern life) I am achieving this by living in my car, and only interacting with humans at work.
Regarding my facial hair. I have great coverage, and thus density on my chin, lip, sideburns(cheek line alittle low!), so no-one can say its not proper facial hair, or its wispy, bum-fluff etc
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I don't know your father and I have no idea why he said this but it is totally unacceptable. This is gratuitous, offensive and far worse than corporal punishment. You simply DO NOT say this to a child. There's nothing educational about these remarks, they're just obnoxious and mean.
Maybe this was some sort of (stupid) joke but that doesn't make it less despicable.
(My mother was much worse, she kept reminding how ugly I was and when I started losing my hair at 17, she often made these mean remarks about it).
I am a teacher and I witness this kind of crap everyday, it's appalling what those kids have to go through at home.
Without getting all liberal, and middle-class, I am a big believer in how ones childhood was, largely determines how that person is as an adult. Now dont get me wrong. My parents had me young, grew up in a rough area, and tried their best with me, installing common decency, manners etc, you know basic traits that any human should have.
I think with my father, he had/has a reputation as a bit of a so called "hard man". Smothers his body with tatoos, the generic bald head, goatee, stocky build. Also an ex footaball thug, ex bouncer, supporter of the EDL/BNP. Treats me like one of his retard mates, forgetting I am his son. Threatened me multiple times for some ridiculous minor things, such as kicking a bin in frustration. Doesnt like it, you see, that I am now bigger than he is. Sees me(along with everybody else) as a challenge. Asked him once, considering you are such a so called big, hard man, why do you bring me up to be soft. He response was, he wanted me too have manners, be decent and so forth, which I think largely he has succeeded. Although the flip side is, I let people take the pi** too much, dont like the aggro. Perhaps thats why I whine so much!