When I was in elementary school, my teachers frequently had us line up from tallest to shortest. Each time this happened, I cringed. I hated that I had to walk straight to the other end of the classroom, away from all of my friends. Being the tallest girl in the class would've been bad enough, but I was even taller than most of the boys. I felt like a giant. In middle school, I looked like a beast next to all of my friends in every photo. I've spent my entire life trying to shrink myself in photos in any way possible. Over the years, I've consistently heard the same five comments about my height. To all of my fellow giants: we're in this together.
1. "Wow, you're tall."
Thank you, Captain Obvious. If I had a dollar for every time someone tried to start a conversation with me about my height, I could buy myself a beach home on a deserted island. The amount of people who think that I'm unaware of my height is astounding. I've been getting this remark since I was in first grade. I'm hoping someday I'll grow out of it (haha).
2. "Do you play basketball?"
3. "You should try modeling."
Apparently being above 5'10" automatically makes you a candidate for modeling. Unfortunately, just because I have the height of a model does not mean I have the physique. I wish my height came with the genetics to be a fit, gorgeous model who could strut down the runway with killer cheekbones...but here I am. Modeling is definitely not in my future.
4. "Can you get that for me?"
Sure, I'll reach for that last box of cereal on the top shelf for you. If you want to slip a dollar bill into my back pocket for a tip, that'd be appreciated. Being everyone's personal ladder isn't as great as they seem to think it is. One definite perk of being taller than everyone else: your arms are long enough to snag the item that's slid to the back of the clearance shelf. Score.
5. "You're lucky, I wish I was tall."
Ah, isn't there a saying that the grass is always greener on the other side? I've always wanted to be shorter so that I could blend into a crowd without people constantly commenting on my height. I admit, it does have its advantages: I always have a good view at concerts and it's easy to plow my way through a crowd of people. There's also a lot of disadvantages: I have constant back pain and when I shave my legs it takes twice as long. Being tall may look like a blast, but most of us that stand above 5'10" would do just about anything to be a few inches shorter.
