Personal Statement

Looking Up

            While standing with my friends, there’s an obvious difference between them and I. I stand between two people where I fill up the spot next to them to just about below their shoulder, with air filling up the rest of the empty space between them. These two people and others standing around them have no problem being comfortable looking at each other, while I on the other hand, have to uncomfortably and constantly look up because most people are taller than I am. 

I’m short. I stand at about 4 feet 10 inches tall, which is about the average height of a 12 year old. My height is a pain to live with when most things in the world are made for average sized people. It’s difficult for me to buy clothing, since they are always longer than I am, so I have to spend time hemming it or looking for something else. My friends constantly use me as an arm rest or accidentally hit me in the face with their elbow. I have to take twice as many strides and go twice the speed when walking with my friends. There have been many times when I’m at a restaurant with my family and the waiter or waitress asks if I need a child’s menu, and I awkwardly tell them that I don’t, since I’m 17.

To me, the worst thing that probably happens is when my friends or people that have known me for a while, randomly comment about my height or make jokes about it. I find it fine when people say once or twice to me, “Aww, you’re so short. How tall are you?”, or when I join them in making fun of me. However, more than once has someone (mostly my friends) randomly mention my height or start joking about it. Sometimes we’re just having a normal conversation when someone randomly goes “You’re so short.” My normal response is that “I already know,” but on the inside I’m more irritated than what I actually show. 

Usually, people would think that because I’m short that I’m super sweet and innocent, but I can be the complete opposite of what people would expect out of me. There are people that meet me for the first time thinking that they can take advantage of me, but I express my true personality that my short stature does not show.

I have gotten used to the fact that people are going to mention my height no matter what, and I just smile and laugh with people when they realize how short I am. On the plus side I can pay less for a movie ticket if I say I’m a child. I have more leg space in cars and planes than other people. It is easier for me to move through large crowds and to fit in spaces that would be too cramped for others. Though my neck hurts looking up all the time, I’m content with my view of the world.