Him and his wife had been arguing about this for years and their situation was now reaching its boiling point.
She wanted him to get rid of a huge part of who he was, it was part of his identity. Was he supposed to just give in to make her happy, even if it would make him unhappy? He knew that he had to make a decision, because things could not keep going the way they were
Travis And Connie Herman
Travis and Connie Herman had been happily married for many years at this point. But it seemed as though there was always some source of turmoil in their relationship that would to get in the way of their happiness.
Connie was starting to feel like she wasn't only married to Travis, because there was another dynamic that had slowly wormed itself into her and Travis' lives. But what was the problem?
Unruly Beard
Things seemed great. Travis' business had been performing better than ever and they had two loving and beautiful children together. This didn't stop the gradual increase of tension for Connie, however. She was starting to feel as though Travis was no longer the same man she fell in love with all those years ago.
Travis had stopped grooming himself throughout the years and it was driving a wedge between him and Connie. But there was another problem. Travis wasn't the only one who seemed to love his thick and unruly beard,
His Identity
Everyone around town recognized Travis by his signature shaggy appearance. He was the owner of one of their local breweries and his look seemed to compliment his job title, His colleagues all had beards like his, too.
Travis spent years growing his beard out. It was becoming part of who he was and suited his theme, but it became Connie's nuisance.
Tense Wife
Even though other people loved Travis' signature beard, they were not the ones that had to share a bed with it every single night for years on end.
Connie's frustration grew, it felt like the beard was like a third person that was constantly adding pressure to their relationship. Connie didn't recognize the man she married all those years ago. It felt like her Travis was gone. It didn't take long until Connie had had enough.
Her Courage
Connie knew that she had choked on enough of his beard hairs in the middle of the night , she was fed up.
It took a while, but Connie had finally mustered the courage to confront Travis about the 'third person' that was slowly putting a wedge between them. She made a simple request: she wanted him to get rid of his beard. Years passed.
Compromise
It is important to be mature and to communicate comfortably in any relationship. But was Connie asking for too much?
She felt good enough about her relationship with him that she didn't think that her request would upset him. She knew that if he decided to keep his beard, she would still love him. But why was it such a big issue in, then?
His Choice
Beard enthusiasts are probably cringing about this situation, right now. Not every man can grow a full beard like Travis, and growing a long beard takes a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of care.
Travis' beard was such a big part of his identity and he was proud of it. He also knew that it was his beard and body and that it was his choice whether he would get rid of it. Was he going to shave it off to keep her happy, or was he going to put his foot down?
Deciding
Travis knew it was time for him to make his decision. Connie had been begging him for years, it was time for him to either get rid of it, or to put his foot down and keep it.
Travis knew the importance of compromising within any relationship. Connie sacrificed a lot for them to have children. But he still did not know if he could go through with his.
He Made A Plan
It took a lot of time, but Travis finally made his decision. He came up with a massive plan. If Connie wanted him to get rid of his beard, he would give her a lot more than just that.
He knew how drastic his plan was, but he was trying to make a point. He slipped his phone from his pocket and dialed the professionals.
Professional Help
He was going to give Connie what she so desperately wanted, even though he could possibly lose himself in the process.
He got on the phone and contacted the Rachael Ray Show to see if they would give him a professional makeover. But, he explained, the whole thing had to be a surprise…
Makeover Team
The makeover team on the show was happy to help Travis change his entire look. His stylist, Kyan Douglas, took one look at Travis and knew he had his work cut out for him. Travis hadn’t run a comb through his beard in years!
The hardest part, though, was sneaking into Travis’ house in the middle of the night while Connie was asleep.
They Had To Be Quiet
It was 4 AM when the camera crew and stylists arrived. They had to be sneaky and extremely quiet so they didn’t wake Connie up. Now, it was time to address the bane of Connie and Travis’ marriage.
They got to work with a clipper to remove the beard, and, piece by piece, Travis’ face was revealed.
“Let’s Do This!”
The stylists decided that Travis needed to be clean-shaven and that he would have a fade haircut. Travis smiled as the clippers moved across the one side of his face.
He commented that one side of his face felt a lot heavier than the other and seemed to be enjoying the whole experience.
“Smile!”
From grizzly brewmaster to suave gentleman, it wasn’t long before Travis had been completely transformed.
And, with a new wardrobe, he was finally ready to reveal himself to the world… and, most importantly, Connie. Finally, she came down the stairs to start making breakfast, but stopped right in her tracks. “Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed. Did she like it?