No, actually, I do not, but thanks for asking anyway! Over the past 16 years, I have become used to the questions and comments on my height-- “you’re so tall!” or “do you play basketball? If not, you totally should!” But when you really think about it, what am I expected to say back? Not thank you because it is never framed as a compliment, but neither is it a criticism.
However, this is not me judging anyone who has made these comments to me because I get it. We all do it, whether we are aware or not. I believe that when someone sees me for the first time they are shocked and sometimes the only thing they know to do is comment about my height because subconsciously it is a compliment. At least that is what I have taught myself to do: take it as a compliment. Before I came to this realization, I would merely laugh it off with an awkward “yeah!” But now I say thank you with confidence and grace. Because yes, I am tall, I know that.
The lesson that I can take out from all of this is that I should be proud of who I am and not ashamed to quite literally stand out. I used to be self-conscious of my height because I saw no other girls my age like me. But I like to believe that it is just one more thing that makes me special. All of us, not just me, need this mindset. What makes you stand out? Because none of us should want to be the same as everyone else-- embrace what makes you unique and take those comments as compliments.
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I loved this post Adria! I've experienced some similar stuff, just switched haha. I used to get self-conscious about my height because I looked like a little kid. However, I realized that we really have no control over things like our height, eye color, body types, etc. so we should love whatever we were given. I've always admired you because you rock being tall! I agree with you that we all should have the mindset that our unique qualities are special!
ReplyDeleteI think about this all the time! I never understood why as humans when talking to someone we feel the need to point out the obvious. Most people when I first meet them ALWAYS comment on my height. I've gotten "Hows the weather down there?", "Are you a classified legal midget yet?", "Can you even reach the bottom shelf?". I could easily go one but normally I look at these types of comments as types of conversation starters. A lot of people just blurt out random things to spark a conversation, no matter what about. After reading this, I realized I never really took it as a compliment though and maybe I should start.
ReplyDeleteI relate to this post on so many different levels; it’s kind of crazy haha. While on the topic of height, like Alanna said, I feel very short compared to the rest of our grade. All my friends are either taller than me or really really taller than me. Sure, it’s definitely a let down at times and something that makes me feel not so confident, but it’s okay. I’ve been getting better at dealing with it and being okay with my height, despite the criticism and jokes that people may say about it. On a different note, I think that something that makes me definitely stand out is my hair. I didn’t really have an option in this or control my hair length as many people know, but it’s still extremely difficult to deal with and something I’m still currently trying to work on. However, your blog post inspired me to not necessarily view it as a bad thing all the time. Instead, maybe I can start seeing it as a symbolization of the strength that I hold and the confidence that I still have to smile every day even with my height and with my hair:)
ReplyDeleteLike you, I also have a height issue compared to a lot of people in our grade. Many people in my family are on the shorter side, so when I'm with them I feel average. However, being in public makes me realize sometimes how much my height makes me stand out. Girls much younger than me are taller than me already, which makes it annoying when people make any kinds of comments on my height. The worst comments are when people try to make being short seem like an advantage and that they wish they too could be short like me because it's 'cute'. I've always gotten offended when people say those types of things, even if they say it nicely because they shouldn't make comments on your appearance whether it's nice or not. Your blog has made me consider though that maybe I should stop getting so offended over these types of comments and instead appreciate them.
ReplyDeleteThis was a post that I A) had no idea I would relate to so much and B) I'd never really thought about. However, everything you said is completely spot-on. I come from a family of fairly short people (save my two uncles who are 6 foot seven) so I'm no stranger to the height comments. And no, to this day, I do not play basketball haha.
ReplyDeleteI understand you're problem but I have the opposite effect since I get many comments about how short I am although they usually try to frame it as an insult. Instead I have learned to laugh it off and make it into a joke since I actually enjoy being short. I really like how you say to frame these comments as a compliment because it is so so important for everyone to be comfortable and happy with who they are.
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