SMOG, SOOT, AND STUBBLE
HOW BOUNTIFUL BEARDS BECAME VICTORIAN AIR PURIFIERS
BREAKING FREE SAFELY The end of a relationship can be an emotional and even volatile time, especially if your soon-to-be-ex is aggressive, abusive, or has a history of violence. If you are preparing to divorce a partner who makes you feel unsafe, take that fear seriously. Your children’s safety and well-being are the most important things, and you can take steps to protect yourself legally, emotionally, and physically. PHYSICALLY SEPARATE. One of the most effective ways to protect yourself if you feel in danger around your partner is to remove yourself from the situation physically. Putting distance between you and them will minimize the opportunities that person has to harm you. Unless you have children together under the age of 18, usually your husband doesn’t need to know where you are. You can be in a different location as the divorce proceeds. In Florida, when minors are involved, you will need to get the written consent of the other parent or a court order to move 50 or more miles away. It’s essential to document any abusive behavior by contacting the police so you have a record of it. You should work with an attorney who can help you navigate relocation rules. Courts will make decisions based on what’s best for the child and will likely grant a relocation in abusive situations. CREATE A SAFETY PLAN. You can work with an attorney or domestic violence advocate to create a safety plan if you feel unsafe with your partner. This personalized guide helps keep you safe during and after a divorce. It should include safe places you can go, like a friend’s house, and a phrase you can tell a trusted person if you are in danger. Include any necessary documents, resources for support, and instructions on how you will keep your children safe if you are a parent. Along with a plan, store money somewhere only you can access and have an emergency bag packed with essentials in case you need to leave quickly. You don’t have to go through this alone; people in your life and professionals will support you. We’re here to help you move forward safely. Contact us today to schedule a consultation. How to Protect Yourself During a Dangerous Divorce
Step aside, antibiotics! In the smog-choked streets of 1850s London, where chimney smoke clung to every surface and a “fog” could linger for months, doctors championed a fuzzy solution. The prescription? Grow a beard. Not just any beard, but big, bushy, chest- brushing beards that could rival a lion’s mane. Their advice made it seem like thick, woolly beards were a frontline defense against disease. As London’s population surged past the one million mark in the mid-1800s, so did its coal consumption. Residents warmed their homes and powered the city with coal, releasing dense plumes of smoke that clung to the damp air. These weren’t your average winter mists. In 1873, one thick smog event blanketed the city, contributing to hundreds of bronchitis-related deaths. Another hung around for four months in 1879, plunging London into darkness. Victorian physicians, caught between outdated theories and the dawn of germ science, believed thick beards could filter the noxious air swirling through the city. With coal smoke saturating the sky and mysterious illnesses lurking in every cough, they saw the beard as a barrier and a natural air purifier, trapping invisible enemies before they reached the throat or lungs. Public speakers were even told their beards would soothe strained vocal cords! Men were reassured that their whiskers could keep sore throats at bay. But here’s the ironic twist in this follicular fairy tale. Modern research paints a less noble picture of the beard. According to dermatologists and ecologists, those bodacious beards trap bacteria, food particles, and even play host to tiny squatters (aka ectoparasites). What the Victorians hailed as a filter functioned more like a germ motel!
So, while the beard boom of the 1800s was well-intentioned, it might be best remembered as a moment when style, “ science ,” and smog collided and the beard won (if only temporarily).
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