Are You Super Short in Height?

I cannot think of any real benefit except that most men you date or marry are taller than you!!!

However, the most popular short person right now, in my opinion, is Shawn Johnson, the Olympic gold medalist, who is only 4'10" tall and 17 years old.

Her current project of appearing on Dancing With the Stars makes her the youngest contestant they've ever had, and she is doing a wonderful job of dancing and gaining popularity. Her most difficult task was learning how to dance in 3 inch heels!!!

Shawn doesn't think being short is a disadvantage at all as she's used to it and has always been the shortest in everything she's done!

As for the obstacles to being "under-tall", thinking of my own experiences and discussing this subject with some friends, here are some interesting and laughable answers!!

1. Not being able to reach items on high shelves at the grocery store!! I personally have to wait for someone tall to come along and reach for me!!

When I ask a person of just normal height, I'll sometimes hear, "Gee, no one has ever asked me to do that before!! You make me feel tall!!"

2. Not being able to reach the floor when we sit in chairs or in booths!!
This is not good for the circulation because sometimes our feet or legs fall asleep and we have to get up and "stomp" to get the feeling back before we try to walk so we don't fall!!

3. When driving, not being able to see over the front of the car!! We cannot see just where to pull in between the lines when we park, etc.

4. Also when driving, having to reach under the seat to move a lever in order to have the seat go all the way forward in order to drive and then all the way back to get out of the car!! Honda does not manufacture an electric seat for the Civic - I would give anything to have such a feature!!

5. Then there are some who sit on a pillow when driving!! My seat can be raised but not enough to really help!! Plus I need room between the steering wheel (which can't be too high or it is in my line of vision!!) and my lap.

6. If you go to a fast food place, the lids and straws are often too high up or far away to reach!

7. I can only reach the first shelf in my kitchen cupboards, so I have a lot of things out on the counters that I use regularly, which creates clutter. With back problems, I am not allowed to climb on a step stool in order to reach higher. Living alone now, I don't have much choice.

8. We are made fun of when we have to ask our taller siblings, husband, or kids to reach things for us. I remember when my 5'8" son went off to college, came home for his first visit, and said, "Gee, Mom, you always called me 'tall one' when you wanted me to reach something, and now I find I'm the shortest guy in my fraternity"!!!

As we age, most of us naturally lose a few inches, and those of us who have always been short just throw up our hands in defeat!!!