This is the first article I am writing for Odyssey, so I figured I might as well let you all get to know me now rather than later! For as long as I can remember, there has always been one fact about me that will always stay constant: I'm a tall girl. Now I'm not that tall, given I'm only 5'9", but standing next to most people, I feel huge. No matter my age, I've always struggled with being a tall girl who seems to have shorter friends. I'll joke and say that maybe I just attract short people, but there were times when my above-average height has been my biggest insecurity. Throughout this article I am going to recount different stages of my life and what it felt like to be tall, and maybe you will relate to me or know someone who will!
Elementary School
Where I live, kids aged kindergarten through sixth grade all go to school in the same building. I realized I was tall in about second or third grade when I saw a picture of my class. At first I wondered, "Maybe I'm on my tippy toes in this picture." It wasn't long after when I discovered that I was taller than most people in my grade. This wasn't too big of a deal for me because my parents told me that I just hit my growth spurt before everyone else and was in the "upper percentile" in height for girls my age (whatever that meant).
Middle School
These years consist of seventh and eighth grade. Boys! I was taller than the majority of boys in my school! I began slouching. A lot. The "perfect pose" at this age was to jut your hip out with your hand propped on it; I jutted my hip so far that my body almost looked like a 90-degree angle. This is when my ego took a hit. I was called a giraffe, but kept reminding myself that I just grew fast.
High heels! Those magical shoes that make you feel like a powerful woman. Wait... I'm already tall. I don't need to be any taller. At least by this age, most boys had finally grown and surpassed my height, but all of my girlfriends were shorter than me. In any picture that we took, especially wearing heels, I looked like a giant. Well, maybe I'll just slump my posture while also wearing heels? I wish I had a normal height! (Side note: Do not try this at home. Constant slumping caused a lot of back pain and made me look even more ridiculous than the hip jutting.)
Somewhere at the End of High School
Approximately junior or senior year, I began to understand that I was always going to be tall and that I could save myself from constant worrying and slouching and be proud of my height. Who says you can't be tall and still wear high heels? If anything, the people who make comments about it probably wish that they were taller.
Whether you're tall or short, you should be happy with it! Own it! There aren't any height restrictions on having fun or wearing high heels, so why feel bad about it? I cannot think of one reason to be ashamed of your height, and trust me, I thought I knew multiple reasons. Who cares if your significant other is shorter than you? If it really bothers you that much, date taller people! The truth is, you only have one body and one height, and you should love it for how it is. So go put on your favorite outfit and love every minute of it, but most of all, love yourself while doing it.
