I have been short for my entire life. In elementary school I watched my friends go through growth spurt after growth spirt while I struggled to inch up. When I finally hit 5 foot, I wanted to throw a party. Now at 19 I am 5'1 (on a good day) and will be for the rest of my life. I have no problem with my height, in fact I actually enjoy being short. That being said, there are certain things that short people have to deal with every day.
1. Needing a step stool for everything
There are very few things I can reach without assistance. If I want to get rice off the top shelf, I need a boost. If I want to put a pair of shoes on the shelf in the top of my closet, I need a boost. If I want to get my cat down from her perch, I need a boost. That is why a step stool is necessary for my daily life. Sometimes I can have a friend, family member or stranger help but if I am alone I have to get resourceful.
2. Having neck pain from looking up at people
I have found that the majority of the adult population is taller than me. The average height for a women is 5'4" and the average height for a man is 5'9". Being well below the average for both means that I spend most of my time literally looking up to people which can cause annoying neck pain. It is not noticeable at first, but eventually the pain catches up to you.
3. Constantly being mistaken for a child
Personally, I do not believe I look like a child. I think that I look my age, 19. However, my height often causes people to assume I am in middle school. The number of times someone has asked me "where is your mom?" is too many to count.
4. Having to sprint to keep up with people
Fortunately my legs are long in proportion to my body, still my little legs can only move so fast. Due to this constant need to keep up with people I have discovered that I tend to move at an extremely accelerated pace. This has progressed to the point where often my friends need to keep up with me!
5. Wondering what the world looks like for a taller person
I firmly believe that tall people view the world differently than I do. People tell me that I can experience it by putting on heels but I really do not think it is the same. For once I would just like to know what it is like to be 5'9".
While there can be many struggles that accompany being short I do not really mind. There are so many great things about being 5'1" that I would miss if I were taller. I can fit in tiny spaces, I take up less space on a plane and could probably hide pretty easily if I needed to. There are advantages and disadvantages to any height but I am perfectly happy with my little legs.
