Growing up, I was always the shortest kid in class. I was always in the front row. I was the last kid picked to play basketball. I was constantly, and still am, mistaken for being younger than I am. But it's okay. Being short, has been a blessing in disguise. It has taught me how to overcome obstacles and stay focused on the end goal.
I still remember that terrible day in sixth grade when, after an x-ray, my doctor told me my growth plates were done moving. I was done growing, I would be stuck at five foot even while my classmates continued to grow taller than me. As I progressed through middle school and in high school, I would be asked if I was in the wrong building, the elementary school was down the street. At the time, it bothered me. A lot. It would upset me. Looking back, I have to ask myself why.
Unlike my peers, I wasn’t blessed with height. I could not reach the top shelf easily. And that’s okay.
Because of my height, I have learned that it's okay to ask for help. Many of my friends are afraid to ask a stranger for assistance. They will prefer to do something else or grab another product. Even at a job fair or club fair, they are afraid to go up to a stranger and ask them questions. Being short, I had to ask for help. I had to get over the fear of talking to a new person if I wanted to move on with my life. There would be things I could not reach or certain tasks I could not accomplish due to my limitations. I had to become comfortable with building new relationships and accepting my own strengths and weaknesses. I know what I can do. I know what I cannot.
For the tasks that may be difficult for me to overcome, I have become an excellent problem solver. Someone of average height can easily get something off a shelf. For me, it's more of a challenge. How do I get the object? Do I have a ladder? If not, what are my other options? This practice has aided my problem solving skills not only in a personal matter, but also when it came to problems that arose with schoolwork, projects, or tasks at work. Instead of seeing the straight line of Point A to Point B, I have become comfortable thinking of multiple options just in case one of the first solutions may not work out.
Also, being short has had its pros. I used to be able to pass as under 12 and receive discounts. I can still also fit into girls’ jeans, which can cost significantly less than those found in the juniors’ section. I may be forever carded as well, but one day it will be taken as a compliment.
Being short has been a limitation for me, but I have not let it define me. I have not let it stop me from obtaining my goals. Whatever you may consider a flaw, you cannot let it prevent you from living life the way you want it to. Anything is possible, if you truly want it to happen. The goal may not be reached in the most common way, but you will feel much more accomplished when its reached. You are who you are. There will be things you cannot change. Like Abraham Lincoln once said “Whatever you are, be a good one.”
