Just Because I'm Short Doesn't Mean That I'm Young, Please Learn The Difference

To all those out there who are still in shock that I am 19, this is for you. Yes, I really am 19 years old. There are most definitely some assumptions made about young women based on their height. This falls under the category of "short girl problems." The ironic thing is that I am actually not that short. I am 5' 4'' which is the average height for an adult female in the United States. You would think this means that I am the same height as most of my friends. Well, let me set the story straight; that is absolutely

FALSE.

Somehow, being the average height for an adult woman in the U.S. means nothing everywhere I go. Save one or two friends, I am typically the shortest one wherever I go. In fact, I could be taller than some of my female friends and I would still be viewed as the shorter one. I don't know if it is my respect for elders or typically kind demeanor, but this apparently shaves a few inches off in the mind of others. I'm sure my freckles and bubbly face don't help my case. Apparently, my freckles act as a cover all for any possible sign of aging past adolescence.

Having all these things together warrants a lot of the same conversations. Oh, the times when I go home during the summer and everyone asks how my little sister enjoyed her college experience. Let me be clear, my little sister is just now a senior in high school and I am a sophomore in college. When I go on to remind them, once again, that I am actually the one going away to school they are blown away. Even after that, I get to inform them that I have actually already been away at school for an entire year and am going to go back for my second. This is the point where they quit believing me and begin to ask me about my age and/or find a way to ask my little sister or my parents about the authenticity of these facts.