Growing up, I was always the tiniest bit smaller than the rest of my peers. I didn't grow as fast and when I finally did, it wasn't much. You see, I, unfortunately, got the short genes from my mother who, funny enough, I'm actually taller than. Standing at whopping 5'0" tall, I find that I don't struggle as much as you may think.
Sure, I can't always reach the highest shelf of anything. In fact, I purchased a step stool to bring to my dorm for this exact purpose.
And sure, I have raised my bed so high that I actually have to jump and/or use my ottoman as another step stool to get on it.
And sure, I literally have to climb on top of my desk in order to reach the top of the shelving unit just to water my plant.
Oh, and let's not forget about the fact that my roommate teases me (in the friendliest way possible) by constantly telling every new person we meet that I'm "actually" 4'2".
But other than that, life has been pretty grand for being short. Here's why.
1. Someone is always around to help
Besides being small, I was, and still am, clearly not the strongest person to ever live. So as a child, I got help for a lot of things just by saying please and showing my adorable little face with my chubby cheeks (although whether or not my face was cute is up for debate). Someone was always there to reach things for me whenever I needed something that was put way too high. Someone was always there to help me carry my stuff because I have the tendency to overload my arms, which by the way, are just as short as my legs. Finally, my favorite helping hand, someone was always willing to give me a piggy-back ride because having short legs meant my strides were not as long as everyone else's. I tend to lag behind any group I'm with, so this is something that helped everyone in the long run. And these are still things that I occasionally struggle with to this day, but what can you do?
2. Games meant for kids are a breeze
Even now, at 18 years old and technically an adult, I still enjoy playing hide-and-seek. From childhood to the present, there has been very little change in my height. So playing this game with younger cousins and friends who just so happen to be taller than me, meant that I generally was able to hide in places most people wouldn't. I found that I usually won when I hid in hampers, cabinets, and even in a corner under a bed. I even use this to my advantage in the dorms, having the ability to easily dust underneath my bed and desk without bumping my head. What makes it even better, is the fact that there have been quite a few times where my roommate hasn't noticed me do so, usually getting startled once I pop back up or even just speaking from wherever I am.
3. It's the little things in life
There are a couple of other benefits to being short and smaller that I tend to take advantage of once in a while, but they're not as significant. I tend to have more leg room available when traveling. I have the option of shopping in the kid's section for clothes and shoes, although I will admit that jeans are still pretty tough to find. I also happen to be good at the game, Limbo. Honestly, it's just the little things in life that I get to enjoy. It's truly not a lot but what is there is helpful and advantageous when need be.
I guess from a tall, and honestly even an average-height, person's perspective, being short is probably not the best time. But, to be honest, I'm perfectly fine being so close to the ground. Sure, my shortness has its disadvantages, but I've pretty much learned to overcome them with the help of the people around me and the occasional random object that I use to reach. At this point, being short is not even something that I acknowledge anymore, and generally, only bring up when asked about my height or to use as an interesting fact about myself during those awkward icebreakers. And that's how my life has been going, no different from anyone else except for the fact that I tend to be clumsier than most, but that has nothing to do with my height.
