I have viewed the world from 5 feet tall since fifth grade, so I guess not much has changed on that end. Don't get me wrong. There were times where I'd lay my head on my pillow at night and pray the next morning that I'd grow. But, that didn't work either. When school started again, every one who went through the summertime growth spurts - always came back to school incredibly tall. I recall senior year in high school when a couple of my guy friends and I were playing basketball in the classroom. You know, the little hoops that attach to the top of the door. It was hard to make the basket. But, put me in a basketball game, and I can go in and out of the paint and shoot those baskets like its going out of style. Though I loved basketball and was really quite good at it, I often got benched during my elementary and middle school years because of my height. Whether it be going from one part of the state to the other on the travel team or the town league, I was often benched. I remember one instance being benched the whole game until the last minutes or so. I was finally put in. I remember crying the whole ride back home. It wasn't until I got to high school that I was finally recognized for the skill that I had, not for my height.
I also remember the day that I walked into the doctor's office for my yearly checkup. She went through the "doctorly" routine and then it came to my height. She printed out a record of my growth since I was first born, picked up the line graph and said: "Well, I think you have evened out. You're probably not going to grow anymore."
Well, she was right. Twenty-four years later, and I am still 5 feet tall. And you know the funny part? Every time I've been to the doctor's since my pediatrician, they are always eager to see how tall I am. Again and again, I find myself saying "I am five feet tall." Yet, most times, I have "magically" grown an inch or two, and I hear them tell me "oh, well you're 5ft, 1 inch" or "5ft, 2 inches." Could it be that perhaps it's because I've had a little extra help from the footwear that I have on? My running sneakers give an extra inch or two and when I am in heels or wedges, I also get a little extra height. But seriously, I could save them a step with this process, every single time - and I could get out of my appointment earlier!
Speaking of footwear, I have not grown much in that department either. Well, not at all to be perfectly honest. In fifth grade when my doctor told me that my days of growing taller had come to an abrupt end, my feet also stopped growing as well. (Hmm, could there be a connection?) I was and continue to fluctuate between a size 6 or a 7 in women's. Sometimes, I do get surprises. Just last summer, I walked into Dick's Sporting Goods to buy a new pair of running sneakers. I walked passed a sale table and I found a pair of blue sneakers that I really liked - (more about my favorite color in a later post.) I picked them up, tried them on (they looked to be about my size) and they fit! So, of course I had to look at the tongue of the sneaker and saw that they were a size 6 and 1/2 in KIDS! So, yes, I guess there are those times (relatively few) where I fit into a kids shoe.
More than not, I dread any type of sneaker and/or shoe shopping. Not so much anymore, but it's still pretty hard. I've inherited the small, wide, tall arch foot from my family. You see, I'm not one that can go into a shoe store, spend 20 minutes trying on shoes, and then leave. I'm the type of person that walks into a shoe store, sees all the shoes that she could have and that are her size, try on several pairs for a couple of hours and can't have them for a plethora of reasons: either one shoe fits fine and the other hurts somewhere around the front of my toes; the cut of the shoe is too narrow and not wide enough, the arch is too small and not high enough, or, when I walk around in the store for a few minutes, the shoes start hurting. Thankfully, I haven't had to go shoe shopping in a while.
My height is now something that I joke about with my friends. When the time comes up, it usually helps to break the ice and makes people laugh. For example, I was over my friend's apartment last night. She lives with two other roommates. One of the guys has a door frame pull bar between the kitchen and hallway. He lifted himself up with ease and then my friend tried it. I was next. I was in my heels which usually adds another 2 inches to me but, I could just about reach the handles. We all laughed. If I were to try this again, I would need a stool for lift off. Ha, I should have realized this because even trying to grab the handles to do the pull down bench press at the gym is hard. I have to stand on my tippy toes to reach that one.
In terms of men, I usually go for the ones that are taller than me. No offense to those who are on the shorter side. It's just preference. (: If they are humorous, muscular, physically fit, and like to run, that's always a plus, too. First, they easily solve the height issue. They can reach things that are way too high in the kitchen cabinets for me. Every time I cook at home, I always have to ask my dad to get a pan down from the top of the refrigerator or a bowl that's too high in the cabinet to reach. Second, having tall guys for friends and even as a future boyfriend will also help when we are walking from the car to a store. Drivers are more likely to see a taller person walking around/ between the cars then they are too see a shorter person who blends in height wise with them. Finally, taller men, for me, usually exhibit a sense of protection and frankly, I like being able to look up in a guy's eyes when I talk to them.
In terms of clothing size, I have been the same size (though have toned up quite a bit and since joining a gym) since fifth grade. It's really quite remarkable, actually. I have this teal dress that I love to wear in the summertime that I have had since fifth grade that I still fit into. And, I have some overalls from fifth grade (a navy blue one with shorts and one with pants), that I sometimes wear on special occasions.
As a teacher, I feel that I am able to relate to my students better. They do not see me as overpowering but as someone who looks facially like them. Bring out the heels and makeup! In elementary school, all of the students are usually shorter than I am. Once I get to middle and high school, they start outgrowing me. It always makes for fun discussions when I walk into a classroom to teach and the teenagers ask "Where is our teacher?" And I reply with "Here, I am!"
So, you see, fifth grade was an influential time for me. It not only marked the end of elementary school but the beginning of middle school, too. It set the stage for the height, shoes, and clothing sizes later in life. I literally smile every time I slip on that little teal dress because I have so many fond memories in it. These will make great stories to tell my kids someday.
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