I’d like to start off this article by saying that I’m 5’1. That’s 5 inches shorter than the average height of a 16 year old girl.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my height, but there are some obvious drawbacks. You can’t reach common things, and trying to get to them can seem ridiculous. It looks insane when jumping to try and get a cup down from a cabinet, and even more ridiculous when you give up and climb on top of the counter.
I also find it difficult to navigate large crowds, considering that if you aren’t close to the front, you can’t see anything but the heads of people in front of you.
Also, let’s not forget about the tall people in life who let it be known that you’re short, from friends at school to the annoying younger sibling that surpassed your height in 8th grade. I’ve come to expect and appreciate how the different comments about my height change from day to day. I think the best one so far is “Wow, did you shrink in the last hour and a half?”.
Aside from the disadvantages, I love being able to go on a walk and not duck under a tree or worry about hitting my head on the archway of the vast majority of new buildings I walk into.
Now clothing can be a struggle, but the joy of finding a pair of pants that you don’t have to hem is unmatched. Additionally, I’ve never struggled with sleeve length on shirts being too long.
Photos are arguably the best part of being short. When you want to be seen in a photo, you can be visible and even stick out in the front if you’re shorter. However, if you want to skip a photo, it’s easy to hide behind people taller than you.
All of this to say, the life of a short person has ups and downs, but it’s wonderful. At the end of the day, height doesn’t determine who you are, only which roller coasters you can go on.