I have been short my entire life. There was never a time when I stood as tall as my peers. Now that I stand at my final height of just under five feet tall, I am able to reflect on how being short has helped me to grow, no pun intended.
Throughout my life, people have called me names and made remarks in regard to my height. Most of these comments have been made jokingly, but words can still be hurtful. I have always been able to shrug off people’s remarks and even laugh along with some of them because, let’s be honest, some of them actually are funny. I even make the occasional joke targeted at myself, one of my favorites being:
“Knock Knock”
“Who's there?”
“I am Short!”
“How Short?”
“Too short to reach the doorbell!"
Life is just as short as I am. It is important to take time to laugh at yourself every once in a while. There is no sense in living life sad and upset about something that cannot be changed. I am short and I will probably always be short, unless scientists make discoveries that change the lives of short people everywhere. There is absolutely nothing I can do about the fact that I am short, so I might as well live my life happily and to the fullest.
Being short has also taught me to be optimistic and look at life from a positive perspective. Instead of complaining about all of the problems that come from being short, I look towards the benefits that come from being short. For example, I can date any guy I would like. Most men like to be that taller person in a relationship, so shorter men are often hesitant of dating tall women. Since I am short, the height of whomever I date doesn’t matter because he will more than likely end up being the taller person in the relationship.
No one likes to be judged. My height has taught me not to judge others based on their looks because I would not like to be judged myself. It is human nature to judge people just based off of one quick glance. Many people use first impressions to make assumptions about a person. As cliché as it may sound, “You cannot judge a book by its cover.” While it may be difficult at times, it is important to take the time to get to know a person before judging their character or making assumptions about the type of person they are. Everyone wants to be loved and accepted and it is unfair to judge a person based upon a first glance.
Being short does come with some difficulties, I often times find myself unable to reach the top shelf. Since I sometimes have difficulty reaching objects that are located high up, I have learned to ask for help. It is okay to ask for help and admit that you need it. Being short has taught me to swallow my pride and ask for help when I need it, even at times when I may not what to. However, help is not always around, so I learn to improvise by using a step stool or climbing on objects in order to reach whatever I may need.
It’s not always easy being short. However, the adversities that come with my height have helped me to grow as a person. I would not be the person I am today had I not faced the difficulties and experiences that come along with being short.
