What happened to my goatee?

What do people see when they look at you?

Initially, they see your physical appearance.

However, I believe our bodies are really a small part of who we really are.

Man is a three-part being. We are body, soul and spirit. The body is just a casing (or an earthsuit as John Eldredge likes to say) to give our real selves something to walk around in during our brief stay on this planet.

And yet we judge each other so harshly based on our physical appearance.

But I delve in far too deep for an entry that is really far more light-hearted…

For nearly fifteen years I wore a mustache and beard (a goatee as it were) on my face.

My wife liked it. I believe she said it \”made me look devilish\”… proof that women DO like a little \”bad boy\” in their man. ;-)

When I became a known quantity in the Internet marketing space, the goatee was a trademark. People instantly recognized me because of the trendy facial hair.

Shortly after The Next Internet Millionaire something supernatural took place.

One night while I was sleeping, it happened…

I woke up the next morning, and my goatee and mustache were GONE!

Before…

… and after

I can\’t say for sure what strange phenomenon occurred, but I\’ve been without facial hair ever since.

I can only speculate as to the nature of this mystery, but I suspect that my goatee is probably off somewhere writing a tell-all ebook about living on my face for those many years.

It wouldn\’t surprise me if it registered a domain like JoelsGoateeSecrets.com and was planning a big product launch for sometime in the future.

It\’s fine. If the goatee ever spills more than it should, I have enough dirt on it to scare it back into the five-o-click shadows.

Nevertheless, since I lost the goatee it has been very interesting to watch people interact with me.

Some do double-takes. Others allude to there being something different about me but they just can\’t put their finger on it.

But there are three statements I hear more than any others.

1) I look thinner.

That\’s great. I wish it were true.

2) I look younger.

Thank you. I\’m not any younger. But I appreciate the compliment.

3) I look more trustworthy.

I didn\’t think I looked UNtrustworthy to begin with! But I assure you that my moral barometer has not adjusted one way or the other due to the absence of facial hair.

And that begs that question.

Will the goatee and mustache ever return?

Not likely.

The Mrs. has decided that she likes the change. And I must confess, I\’m pretty happy without it as well.

Oh, and in conclusion, I\’ve got a special note for my goatee, whereever it may be…

Your days are over, my furry friend. Best to put the past behind you. It was a fond fifteen years. Farewell.