Times are a-changin’

Facial hair is today’s issue. Mustache. Goatee. Beard. What’s your opinion on the subject? Well, most don’t care, it’s an individual choice, after all. I grew up in the 1960s when long hair meant rebellion. It still might today, or it might be stylish, or just lazy. But for 50 years, the New York Yankees have had a “no-beard” policy. Curiously, George Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner who instituted the policy, allowed mustaches. But beards were verboten (might be my first time ever using that word in a column!)

Now, his son, Hal Steinbrenner, has reversed course and—effective immediately—“well-groomed beards” are allowed. Boom! The Yankees were the only club in all of major league sports to have that policy, and the times they are a’changing. Newly signed former Brave, Max Fried, often does the scruffy look, so that might be okay with the Yankees now. 

I wrote a column years ago, which I can’t locate, bemoaning tattoos, especially on young people. I proposed that tattoos be banned until one is 25. I’m always right until I’m wrong, and I spectacularly missed the mark on that one. 

Ultimately, I’m a freedom guy. And society allows 18 or sometimes 21 year olds to be adults. I still wish pretty girls didn’t get visible tattoos, but I’ve given up fretting over it. Tattoos are everywhere. Some of my daughters have tattoos. They didn’t do it to make me mad, they did it because they wanted to say something. I actually like what they had drawn. Although they could have just done a poster and hung it on the wall. 

Crazy beards are everywhere. Extensive tattooing is everywhere. Facial piercings are common. Shirts with bad words are worn in public, but I don’t recommend it in court. You might end up in an orange jumpsuit instead. 

Society seems to have relaxed a lot very fast. Even dress clothes in church are way more relaxed than they were 20 years ago. I blame it on the drummers. Once they started having drums on stage, the downhill slide was inevitable. 

I’m not for or against long hair, facial hair, tattoos, piercings, most clothing, or drummers in today’s world. If you worked in my office, I’d…never mind, that’s what I’m avoiding. Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I have to be an old fuddy duddy.

And I jest about drummers. Drummers actually help churches know the stage is level. If it is level, drummers drool out of both sides of their mouth. I have more, but I’ll stop.

Kelly Burke was born in Knoxville where he spent his younger years, followed by high school years in Atlanta where he graduated from Georgia Tech. He then graduated from Mercer Law School. He has been in private practice, a magistrate judge, and an elected district attorney. He writes about the law, politics, music and Ireland. He and his wife enjoy gardening, playing with their Lagotto Ramanolo named George Harrison, and spending time with their grandchildren.