88. The Man Without a Mustache

Clarence's dad, grandfather, and great grandfather all had mustaches. They were thick and stood out. Clarence thought that he would have a mustache, too. When his classmates were growing facial hair, Clarence noticed that he wasn't. He told his dad that he was concerned. His dad said not to worry about it and wait a few years.

 When Clarence was 21, he still did not have any facial hair. His upper lip area was smooth as a baby's bottom. Whenever his friends met his dad, they always joked at the fact that Clarence could not grow a mustache.

Clarence felt bad. He felt that he was still a little boy. Clarence told Shawn, his cousin, about his concern. Shawn laughed. "You should feel good! It is such a hassle to shave every day. My facial hair grows back so fast. 

You also save a lot of money from not having to buy shaving cream and razors," he said. "That's not funny," Clarence said. "Look, Clarence, we all want things we will never have," Shawn said. "What do you want that you don't have?" Clarence asked.

"I am jealous of your intelligence. I will never be as smart as you even if I studied twice as much as you," Shawn said. Clarence thanked him. He thought about this and was glad that he was intelligent. Shawn was right. We all take what we have for granted and think about what we don't have.

Vocabulary

1. Mustache – hair that grows above a man’s upper lip
   Clarence thought he would grow a mustache like his dad.

2. Thick – heavy or full
   Their mustaches were thick and stood out.

3. Facial hair – hair on the face, such as a mustache or beard
   Clarence noticed he wasn’t growing any facial hair.

4. Concerned – worried or anxious
   He told his dad he was concerned.

5. Smooth – having no roughness; flat or even
   His upper lip was smooth as a baby’s bottom.

6. Joked – made fun in a playful or teasing way
   Clarence’s friends joked about his lack of a mustache.

7. Hassle – something that is annoying or a bother
   Shaving every day is a hassle.

8. Shave – to remove hair using a razor
   Shawn had to shave often.

9. Razors – tools used to shave hair
   Clarence didn’t have to buy razors.

10. Shaving cream – a cream used when shaving to protect the skin
    Shawn used shaving cream every day.

11. Save – to keep from spending
    Clarence saved money by not needing shaving products.

12. Jealous – wanting what someone else has
    Shawn said he was jealous of Clarence’s intelligence.

13. Intelligence – the ability to learn and understand
    Clarence was glad he had intelligence.

14. Granted – something you don't appreciate because it's always there
    We take what we have for granted.

15. Worry – to feel nervous or uneasy
    Clarence worried about not growing a mustache.

16. Even if – used to say something is true under certain conditions
    Shawn said even if he studied more, he wouldn’t be as smart.

17. Appreciate – to understand the value of something
    Clarence began to appreciate his own strengths.

18. Twice – two times
    Shawn said he could study twice as much and still not match Clarence’s intelligence.

19. Family – people related to each other
    Clarence’s father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all had mustaches.

20. Lip – the edge of the mouth
    Clarence’s upper lip had no hair.