By Robert Washburn
Growing a moustache is not as easy as it looks.
Sure, it seems simple. Don’t shave. Hair grows. Voilà.
Naw, it is nowhere near that simple.
Behind the natural act of cells generating, duplicating and replicating, there is ego.
The other day, I ran into a student and ask him why he had shaved off his moustache. He looked at me, dead serious, and said he hadn’t given up. This was it. The embarrassment was painful – for both of us. Thankfully, he saved the moment with a joke.
“I hope they have a category for worst moustache,” he said with a slight smile.
Not my best moment as an educator or a human being.
Oh, dear.
I begged forgiveness and offered my apologies.
Another student met me in the hall on Monday. He was sans moustache. Quickly, he launched into his story. He tried. Really, he tried. But, it was impossible to understand how it made him feel when he looked in the mirror. He felt greasy and it did not look good. He hated his appearance.
How can you argue with that? It is a learning institution, not a prison. We want him to learn from participating, not feel tortured like some poor soul from Guantanamo Bay.
But, then there are those who are blessed with exceptional genetics. One student, Jose De Barros, is a rising star when it comes to his moustache. Within a week, he has a full, dark, complete moustache. No doubt he will be able to start styling it tomorrow.
Nuts, I am so jealous. A few tiny hairs under my nose are starting to be visible. If I stand in the right light, you can see it. When rubbed, it is definitely there. But, it is nowhere near Jose’s.
Now, the stakes will be rising. QNet News, the Loyalist College integrated news website, is sponsoring a contest in support of Movember. We are inviting all faculty, staff and students who are growing a moustache to like our page, post pictures, send us material, give us links, so we can promote them. Then, on November 30, the Loyalist Mo-Sistas will judge participants in several categories.
Right now, I would not be betting the farm on me.
Still, you can make me feel like a winner by donating. Click here.