You know when you're looking at your elementary school pictures and there's that one girl that's always towering over the whole class? Yeah that was me. Still is actually. Standing nearly 5'10 now I'm very used to, and confident in my height. These five ‘problems’ I'm going to discuss are more like blessings now, but while I was growing up I hated them and definitely overreacted about how bad it actually was. I spent a lot of time envying shorter girls. I know these childhood thoughts have to be relatable to any girl who grew up long legged.
The first problem, and the phrase that used to grind my gears the most, "Can you grab that for me?" Growing up tall is always being asked to grab things your shorter friends and family can't reach. It's like I'm a human step stool. Okay that's dramatic. But seriously. This still happens a lot today, but doesn’t nearly bother me as much, if at all. At least my stature is being put to good use.
Second, for the first 15 years or so of my life, I was taller than probably 90% of the boys in my classes. I was also a very firm believer (used to be, not anymore) that a boy had to be significantly taller than me to be attractive. That made having crushes really hard, and limiting my choices by a lot. Today, height doesn’t really bother me. Of course, I would always prefer the boy to be taller, but like I said, preference, not necessity.
Third, I've always loved obnoxiously tall heels, but I was so sure that only shorter girls could wear them. For this reason, I spent several occasions wanting to rock pumps, but settling for flats instead. Once I got to high school that all changed. I was the girl known for the 6 inch heels at homecoming, and loved every second of it.
Fourth, trying to buy clothes that fit perfectly. Finding pants that actually went to the bottom of my legs instead of cutting off awkwardly around the middle of my calf. Or finding a dress that wouldn't be obscenely short. Forever 21 dresses? Forget it. This is still very much a problem today, but at least I’m aware of what actually looks good now, opposed to before.
Lastly, hearing people shorter than you say "You're so lucky, I wish I was tall." I used to never see the appeal of being tall, or why any girl would wish it upon themselves. I saw it as such a burden. My immediate response would be, “No you don’t.”
But here's the thing about growing up tall. I disregarded and didn't realize all the perks it came with. I was born with a blessing that my tall family bestowed upon me. I can reach things without having to ask for help, or never had to worry if I was tall enough to ride a roller coaster. You get to be the lucky person who holds the phone out for a group selfie because you have the longest arms, and can fit everyone in the frame. Towering over everyone in a picture is what I do best. All my childhood insecurities are pretty much out the window nowadays. So for all my long legged girls out there, rock it. Don’t let yourself, or anyone else tell you that being tall is a problem. It’s a gift.
