Why My Goatee is Purple

A few years ago, my sister—who had just become a cosmetologist—was looking for a way to show her male clientele exactly what she could do with facial hair. She approached me with an idea: she wanted to dye my goatee.
My answer was a firm “No.” She asked again. “No.”
Eventually, she wore me down. I figured I could always shave it off in a week if I hated it, so I let her go for it. We went with purple. Shortly after, I went to Walmart, and something unexpected happened: people started walking up to me. “Hey, I love the goatee!” or “That’s a great color!”
It became an instant conversation starter. I realized I loved the simple act of meeting new people and sparking a friendly chat, so I decided to keep the look. These days, I handle the dye jobs myself. While purple is my “signature” most of the year, I like to switch it up for the seasons:

• July 4th: Red, white, and blue (and let’s be clear—it’s white, not gray!).
• October: Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness.
• Christmas: A festive red and green.

What started as a favor for my sister turned into a way to connect with my community. That’s why I started, and that’s exactly why I keep doing it.
Ty, Jg