Alan is outstanding. He also has a striking look. Once seen,
never forgotten.
My enquiry about his different colour facial hair was met
with an air of polite and calm resignation – I’d correctly assumed that others had also
noticed it and commented on it.
Alan explained that he had inherited his particular look through his genes – his
grandparents had it, then it skipped a generation and he was gifted with it. It’s
called vitiligo - a condition that
results in the loss of pigmentation - and his occurs only on one side of his
face. Apparently Michael Jackson had the same condition.
I told him I thought his look was a fashion statement before
I spoke to him, he smiled at my suggestion that he dyed his hair on one side of
his face. When I asked if I could take his photograph he willingly obliged and
remarked that someone else had recently asked him the same question because
they knew someone with the same condition.
Fortunately the other man and I were part of a group of
sensitive enquirers. Alan remarked that he’s had some negative comments from
people because unfortunately we live in a country with lots of sensitive
people. All his observations of these other people were kind and courteous.
An outstanding man, in more ways than one, especially in charity
to others who have been less than thoughtful to him.
