I experienced a growth spurt once. Those of you who know me are probably giggling, but it’s true! When I was ten-years-old, I shot up in height like a rocket reaching for the stars. Unfortunately, it was short-lived and by twelve, I was closer to Earth’s epicentre than the Galaxy’s stars. I am a short stack, a pocket rocket, fun-sized, a small fry. I am 5 feet tall… on a good day.
I can’t say that it was unexpected given my dad is 5 foot 1 and my mum is 5 foot 2. I had no hope with those kinds of genes. My brother got lucky somehow and ended up being 5 foot 9. He must have gotten more vitamins in utero than me.
Suffice to say, I can’t help but envy tall women, what with their long limbs and elevated view of the world. Just think about how useful being tall would be! If I was taller than my 5 foot short stack, I would not…
- Need to do a hop, skip and jump over big puddles! I’d simply step over them.
- Get bruises from door handles when my sleeves get caught.
- Buy 3/4 pants to substitute for full-length pants.
- Buy shoes from the kiddie section because women size 5 shoes are impossible to find.
- Adjust the car seat all the way forward and upwards to reach the car pedals and to see over the dashboard.
- Ask random strangers for help getting products from top shelves at the supermarket after making a dunce of myself by jumping up and down like a loon.
- Ask a random stranger to check if I made the 150cm height restrictions for accompanying adults so I could take my 4-year-old son on a mini go-kart ride at a carnival.
- Have to explain to a cop that I was indeed the mother of two children and not their underaged babysitter.
- Be mistaken as a young child when on ordering drinks from McDonald’s. I don’t even say this in jest… a few days ago, I overheard a server yell ‘get the little girl her drink order’ to his colleague before correcting with ‘I mean, the lady’ upon second glance. Talk about mortifying!
- Do you really need more examples? I think you’ve probably laughed enough at my expense.
There must be yang to this yin, right? Pros to these cons? Let’s see… (thinking)… give me a minute… (thinking harder)… hmm… (brain starting to hurt)… I’ll have to get back to you on this.
Anyway, I can’t change my height, and I wouldn’t want to if it meant I wasn’t the person I am today. I guess I’ll continue to graciously accept hearing people say ‘great things come in small packages’. At least people aren’t cracking jokes about how down to Earth I am or how I’ve got a great perspective on life because I’m always looking up.
Copyright © 2021, KN J Tales and Snippets. All rights reserved.
KN J Tales and Snippets 
Don’t be too afraid to enjoy it. Come to Indonesia, you will see many people with small sizes. That’s not too much of a problem. It depends on how you enjoy it and are grateful for what you have. Hi, I’m only 167 cm for a man. Stay Don’t be too afraid to enjoy it. Come to Indonesia, you will see many people with small sizes. That’s not too much of a problem. It depends on how you enjoy it and are grateful for what you have. Hi, I’m only 167 cm for a man. Stay happy.
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Hi Afriant, thanks for your kind comment. Being a short isn’t to uncommon for an Asian person and amongst most of my Asian friends, I’m not too short compared to them. Just wished I was a smidge taller! But you’re right, be happy abd grateful for what you have.
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A ha. I too have short-people problems, as well as a younger-than-I-look problem. When I was an instructor on a field trip, the person in charge of the facility asked why I wasn’t in the classroom with the other students. But yeah, I’ve embraced that now. Thanks for this post!
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Haha.. Young looking and short.. What a combo!
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I’m shorter than you and my sister is shorter than me and she likes to say were super vertically challenged, which, when I say it to people, makes them a little perplexed until they can figure out what all the big words mean. It’s kind of fun to watch. Being short definitely sucks, but it does make me happy I can see what’s on the ground more easily so I don’t trip on things like bumps on sidewalks when I see taller people almost face plant. And I like to think it’s easier and faster to pick up the things I’ve dropped since I don’t have to bend over quite so far, so I can actually make a little swoop down look more elegant than it actually is. Still, I wouldn’t mind being even 2 inches taller.
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It sounds like you’re giving me a pros list, albeit a short one 😜
I’d take tripping over jumps on sidewalks if it meant I was a few inches taller.
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I tower above you at the grand height of 5’4. While I don’t have to hop puddles or wear kiddie shoes I do have to climb grocery shelves like a monkey to reach the top items, so I feel a little of your pain.
😉
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They should really have mini-marts with mini shelves for short people so no one needs to risk a broken neck to get to things.
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And they shouldn’t be allowed to yell at you when you’re hanging by one arm reaching for that box of lasagna.
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Exactly! The only person who should be yelling is the shorty… yelling for someone to get them the damn box of lasagna!
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