Thursday, November 29, 2007

Vertically challenged.

This afternoon I was having this conversation with one of my patients, about well, being short. My grandfather was a six footer, but grandma could not make it to 5 feet. So, Dad got her genes and uncle got the tall genes. Well, that makes me 5 feet tall. I usually tell people that I am an inch taller! Jokes apart. I think it affects my life everyday.
Its almost like I have to prove myself to everyone that I meet for the first time. Especially my patients. Its twice the work. At times I have to deal with nasty people, who want to vent all their pent up anger and frustration on me. Sometimes I wonder, what if I were a foot taller and about 50 pounds heavier. Would people talk to me like they do now? Would I command more respect? Would it be easier to impress people. Guess I would never know. But I do notice myself being intimidated by bigger individuals, well not every time. Well sort of.
I even found a bunch of studies on the internet, stating that taller people make more money and breed more respect. The worst is that one study claims that taller people are smarter too. Well, that's not always true, because I've met some really dumb dudes who are really tall. So, looks like it's not just me, who is bothered by this. All my short brothers and sisters throughout the world face this. Oh well, we just have to work harder then I suppose.
At this point of my life I have come to terms with the fact that I will forever belong to this 'underestimated' if you will, lot. But what if we get to spend a day where it was the other way round? Where it was cool to be 'vertically challenged'?

5 comments:

Ujwal said...

Its unbelievable that being "short" actually affects you or people in day to day life...may be in various degrees of intensity. I always thought....people who are skinny..are underestimated and not given that much respect...if u know what i mean....hehehe :)

keep writing..:)

Hoterama said...

hey pint-size, i remember from when i took anatomy and we studied the human lifecycle that humans actually begin to shrink at age 30, so enjoy your height for the next 5 years before you start losing it

Hoterama said...

oh yeah, and my blog is hotorama...and like i said, it's on xanga

geeta said...

hi ,
its very well written n articulate i second ur stand coz well u knw v r nt quite apart in terms of our stature....i too have felt dis quite a few times and specially got it frm a lot of males...i dunno exactly if i shud even react 2 it or no but i find myself amused at their comments coz i jus feel even though physically they r more endowed dan me...on other aspects dey cud nt really belittle me coz though dey had an added advantage of physique over me our minds delved quite equally or mine better at times if i may say so ... :) cheers to us 4 v r comfortable in our skin and hey v r quite a spark irrespective of sum attributes ;)

Sameer said...

Well said! You know, I have been dating this 5-feet-nothing girl for the last 6 years & more. Now she's a confident, outgoing, sharp-as-tacks person - evevn a tad aggressive by some people's tastes. Now I wonder how much of a role her stature has played in this. Although,personally, I suspect not much!!