Some people live most of their childhood not being too tall, only to hit a growth spurt and suddenly enter into the lifestyle of height. These people have lived in two worlds, ergo they have a unique perspective on height.
I am not one of those people. I was born tall, am tall now, and will still be tall if you check in on me in a decade or two. It's part of who I am, and it has always been that way. I'm 6'6" now, and there are obviously plenty of perks. I don't want to come off as bitter, though I probably will.
A 6'9" wingspan can come in remarkably handy at the most unexpected times, for one thing. I can see well in crowds, especially at concerts. Overall, I love being tall. I don't really have much of a choice, to be fair. Still, it's part of what makes me who I am and I dig it.
Of course, there are some things about being tall that drive me up the wall, y'all. Here are a few of them.
Questions
I think this is a good place to start, because it's the most typical for me. It's not particularly frustrating, though it has become trite at this point. I guess I shouldn't complain too much, because my height is a pretty good icebreaker, but after years and years of the same questions, it gets old. Here are a few:
"You're so tall!"
How I Answer: Hahaha, yeah.
What I'm Thinking: Yes, correct, exactly, well done! How do I respond to that?
"Why are you so tall?"
How I Answer: No idea!
What I'm Thinking: No idea! Also, that's kind of a strange question!
"How tall are you?"
How I Answer: 6'6"!
What I'm Thinking: Whatever number I say will blow your mind.
I'm the one who looks tall.
I get asked if I play sports quite a bit. And the answer is yes, I play baseball and basketball. No, I don't play just because I'm tall– I've been shooting hoops since I was 2, and I wasn't too tall back then. Sure, it helps to be tall, especially for basketball when you can dunk, but any tall basketball player will tell you that at a certain level of play it doesn't help all that much if everyone else is good.
And I do play basketball, so talking about it isn't too irritating, but I can't imagine how frustrating it is for a tall non-athlete to field those questions all the time. I feel your pain, fellow tall person.
Ball is life
Buying Clothes
Most stores don't stock shoes above size 13. Some don't even go above 12. For size 14 shoes, I have to go online and the options are limited. Shoe shopping is not a rewarding experience. Not only that, but do you know how hard it is to find pants in my size? It's a nightmare. Try going into H&M and finding pants with 38 length and 32 waist. Nope. "I'm sorry, we don't have that size in the store, let me check online for you!" Thanks, but don't bother. There's no way. The only solution is to wear pants that are slightly too short and slightly too wide. (Note: Though I've had this problem for years, I recently found a solution: 2tall.com. Hey, that's me!)
And all suits have to be tailored, of course.
Watch your head!
Oh, thanks! I wasn't sure whether or not I should avoid walking into that (insert thing you can crack your head open on).
Fitting in Planes and Cars and Buses, Etc.
Let's just say I like it better when my knees aren't bent at impossible angles.
