I’m 5 feet 1. In everyday terms – short! Ever since the world woke up to 6 feet fashion models strutting in 5 inch heels, the word “short” has had a certain kind of stigma attached to it. Suddenly you’re not as attractive, suddenly you can never have a career in most fields of the entertainment industry…suddenly thousands of people who are 5’4 and below are wishing they were taller. As part of a generation who spends more than half of their waking hours being exposed to such media, I understand that this does affect us in some way or the other. When the media has conveniently drawn us a picture of the ideal female or the hyper masculine male, who wouldn’t wanna be or look like that? There was a time when I too wished God had shown me some vertical love…but not anymore.
I have shunned the word short out of my life. Sure, I’m short – literally, but not how the word has come to mean now. I don’t feel short. “Short” is not the word I would want in my bio. Because, for me…I can feel 7 feet tall if I want to (that blue Avatar species got nothing on me). I can go down and feel like a 3 feet kid if I want to, enjoying the thrills of taking my first step.
I wear flats, because I don’t see a reason as to why I shouldn’t. I wear heels because I love them and NOT because I want to “look tall” and somehow fit in or be deemed “tall and attractive.” Yes, sometimes I am the shortest person in a group and I have to alter my pants every time I get them…but I don’t see how that’s a bad thing. I have heard people say “She’s pretty, but she’s short”, “He’s decent, but he’s too short”… Isn’t that labelling someone the same way you would call someone “black”, or “white” or “yellow”? If that makes people racists, can we call these people “heightists”? But that just sounds too damn lame. Exactly!
I’m short and I love every fibre of my tiny body. I don’t mind not being able to reach that top shelf, I don’t mind being friends with my tall peeps. I like my 5 feet air around me, it makes me who I am and I wouldn’t change that…even if I had the chance.
Image: Shutterstock
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