- I have awesome, adorable friends.
- Someone is wearing a bright yellow hat in the bottom right corner.
- It's getting dark outside.
- I am a whole head shorter than everyone.
For starters, even though technically I'm an "adult", I still think everyone around me is older than me, because, well, they do look older than me. It's something I can't help, like I have some kind of filter that is preventing me from owning that I am indeed older (I believe I will experience this same sensation when I am middle aged).
Unfortunately I don't usually gravitate towards dressing "like a teenager", so that doesn't help. Let's be honest here--I dress a cross between a six year old and a thirty year old. At best, I can accomplish what Rachel Berry would call "Sexy schoolgirl librarian chic".
And the jokes. The jokes just keep on coming. Everyone has that one thing they can't escape (unless drastic measures are taken--in my case, wearing five inch heels every day for the rest of my life) and that friends, family, acquaintances, and complete strangers have no problem bringing up on a daily basis.
The worst part? To avoid the humiliation and insecurity inflicted by others, I often try to beat people to the jokes. I reason, if someone is going to poke fun at me, it might as well be me, right? It's become a habit, one I loath, because in honesty, it just makes people think I'm okay with them putting me down all the time. Self-deprecation is all fun and charming until you start believing it yourself.
This is why I am making a pact with myself. From this day on, I will not sell myself short. I may be small, but I have a hell of a lot of opinions, plans, and dreams--more than some six-foot people out there, I'd say. The next time someone mentions my height or the smallness of my feet, I am going to either:
- Smile, and change the subject.
- Tell them to go away.
- Punch them in the face.
Since I am soon going to be in a position where I will literally know no one, I think I will try to avoid options 2 and 3. Otherwise I have a feeling I would have a hard time making new friends...
That being said, I encourage you to not sell yourself short (literally, figuratively, or both)!
6 comments:
I prefer option 3. But I kind of want hugs in college too. I MISS YOU <3
I'd go with option two AFTER you already have friends.
Joseph said the other day how the last time we saw you, you were taller than he was, and now he's pushing six feet.
...things change, I guess :)
My friends used to make jokes at my expense all the time and I just, you know, took it as a joke, but eventually it got really old and made me feel bad about myself. (To the point where, since I was made fun of for my large forehead, I got bangs just so they'd leave me alone.) So I finally started standing up for myself and getting angry even if they were my friends because even though everybody jokes with their friends sometimes, it shouldn't be a constant barrage of veiled insults.
So good for you, Kaylie! :) And I would only let them have one joke before I went for option number three. That's just me though.
Maybe if you choose option number three your identifier in college will be "the cute little short girl who can kick your ass."
I grew up in an environment where everyone strove to be "perfect".
Yay ballet...
Anyway, I got made fun of regularly for not being "thin enough" or because of how I dressed. My best advice is to ignore it, and not let it get to you. It can be hard, but it's worth it.
Then again... I like Maggies new nickname for you :D lol
This was so nicely put and true. You reminded me of Dawn Porter which is a HUGE compliment. You're the toughest kid of any height I know!
Well put, thugmeister. Your puns were so funny, and you've definitely proven coolness is not measured in feet over the years I've known you. I love you, and I'll try to stop with the american girl doll jokes. <3 <3 <3
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