Just over a year ago, after I finished all my residency interviews, I decided to grow my goatee.  Over years, I have had a beard, here and there, for a few weeks at a time.  I thought this would be the same.  But after a while, my goatee grew on me (pun intended).

The next thing I knew, it was months later and I still had my little red beard.  Now, over a year later, it was still there, having metamorphosized from a Van Dyck to most recently a pure goatee, with no associated mustache.  I have to admit, the latter was my favorite, avoiding all the irritations of the moustache part.

But alas, my goatee is no more. 

Yesterday, I realized that, over time, my goatee had become more and more narrow.  This was not intentional, rather it was a simple progression of my efforts to maintain a nice, well-trimmed edge to it.  I would continuously take just a tad bit more off the sides, until it really was only a strip about 1.25 inches wide.

It looked ridiculous.  And my wife agreed.

So I chopped the sucker off.  Now, my chin is cold, I reach up to stroke it and it is gone.  It is an odd feeling after so long a time.  I don't think I like it.  In fact, the shaving was just an excuse to start over with a better goatee.  But I do miss it.  Newly shorn, and no where to go.  Except work.