My Thoughts on Height

Recently, I've come under fire for some of my comments regarding height, specifically some of the things I've said on twitter about short people. Let me explain.

First, I'll dive into what may be the root of my prejudice: bitterness. To understand my relationship to height, one must first know my genetic background. My maternal grandfather was six feet seven inches tall. I grew up hearing stories of my giant of a granddad, the man who could shuffle a deck of cards with one hand. My mother is a reasonably tall woman, standing at 5'9", just as her mother did, and she would tell me growing up, routinely, that I'd be taller than her when I was fourteen years old. I wholeheartedly believed her. When I was thirteen years old and 5'6", my pediatrician informed me that I would grow anywhere between one and three more inches. I was very excited to be 5'9".

Unfortunately, what I did not account for is the fact that the other side of my family, while full of lovely people, is not tall at all. I wouldn't consider the McGraths small, but they are not towering Moravians by any means. Therefore, my father also stands at 5'9", which apparently my mother didn't think much about all those years as she convinced me I'd be taller than she is one day.

I think being 5'7" would sting less if I hadn't believed I'd be two inches taller. To add insult to injury (or perhaps insult to insult), my little brother overtook me in the height department when he was twelve or thirteen years old. Now, he's sixteen and six feet tall. It stings because every time he sees me he has to point out how "short" I am. One time, he even called me fun sized!

I am not a small person. I am not short. Five foot seven is well above the average height for women, and I don't feel as though I am far smaller than most men I stand around. Perhaps this is my inflated sense of self compensating for my lack of extreme height, but I truly feel confident in my size most of the time, despite wishing I were taller.

I'm certain we're all familiar with the old bit of wisdom that bullies only bully other people because they feel insecure. This is partially true for me. It's easy to turn around and laugh at people who are shorter than I am, and it feels good that such people exist. But, more so than just wanting to be mean, I feel bad for people who are small, because I've had a taste of it myself.

It's not fair that some people should be tiny. I would be so filled with anger if I were truly small, and I think that's why people shouldn't have to be that way. 

When I walk down the street, my eyes are at a certain level, and I find it difficult - almost impossible - to register the presence of anyone under about five foot four. Why should they go unnoticed?

I firmly believe that everyone should be able to grow to at least 5'5". I understand that this is not the way the world works, and that makes me feel even worse for people who are short.

Short people, I hear you. I see you (unless you're walking past me outside). I feel your pain when I'm around my sixteen-year-old brother. I'd like to be an ally to you. But in my heart all I want is for you to grow. I'm sorry if I've harped on about that too much.