Being a Tall Girl

I grew eight inches in one year. In 1988, the year I turned 14, I became a tall girl. There are lots of online options now if you wear a size 11 like I do. Back in 1988, however, it was a bit more challenging. Thankfully, my mom found Carlyle Bootery on Livingston Street downtown Brooklyn where there were lots of shoe choices for tall girls.

Thinking about what's cool about being tall is hard because the first thing that comes to mind is what's challenging about being tall. I'm going to make a list of some of the challenges, and try to see the silver lining in the midst of the challenges:

Sports Stereotypes:
So many people think you should play basketball just because you're tall. I could care less about sports. When I was a teen, I had to participate in all the sports my church youth group had available, which meant I played basketball, volleyball, ran track/did the long and triple jump, and I was a cheerleader. I didn't enjoy any of it.

Silver lining: I was regularly able to help expand people's thinking about tall people by letting them know that I wasn't interested in basketball. The same with stereotypes about tall women dating/marrying guys who are shorter. Dishon is shorter than me. Not a problem.

Sitting on Planes:
Unless you sit in an exit lane or pay for extra legroom, sitting on a plane can be unbearable, especially if the person in front of you chooses to recline their seat.

Silver lining: Most of the time when I travel, it's been for business, and the organization I work for gladly accommodates my height by purchasing extra legroom for me. It made the trip to Alaska far more pleasant than it would have been otherwise.  

One Size Does NOT Fit All:
Finding socks, gloves, and slippers that fit me is hard. Usually, I resort to getting men's socks and gloves because all the cute socks and gloves I really want aren't made for me. 

Silver lining: When I find cute socks, gloves, and slippers that do fit me, I am truly grateful, and I become a loyal customer of the places that create products with tall girls like me in mind.

Low Ceilings:
We live in a Cape House, which means our ceilings are pretty low. I've been working out at home to save money on gym fees, and I have to be very careful when doing jumping jacks and tree poses.

Silver lining:
I have the opportunity to be really creative when it comes to working out at home. I use fists instead of fully extended hands a lot. 

Bathtubs:
I haven't had a proper bath in more years than I can count because I can't stretch out all the way in most tubs. 

Silver lining: 
When Dishon and I go away, we specifically look for rooms with whirlpool tubs that can accommodate my height, and I'm truly grateful when I get to enjoy them.

When I create characters, I don't think enough about their physical attributes, and how something like height influences their perspective. This is something I can play around with a bit more when I describe my characters' actions and experiences.