It's Alright to be Little Bitty

I have always been one of the shortest people in my grade. Not so much now it seems like, but people still call me short.

I am 5'1". Not abnormally short, but not tall at all. It comes with advantages and disadvantages. I remember once in 5th or 6th grade, I was hanging out with my friends, who of course were all taller than me. A country song, "Size Matters" came on the radio and they started singing it to me all the time. I just sang back the Allen Jackson song "It's Alright to be Little Bitty." What weird children we were. Anyway, I didn't reach the 5' mark until 8th grade I think. Most kids were 5' by 5th or 6th it seemed like. In 5th grade I helped serve lunch to the kindergartners and, I kid you not, there were at least three of them taller than me. 

Can you guess which one I am? Yup. Center and shortest.

Being short can be good. More if you're a girl than a guy, probably, but I'm a girl so it's okay. You never really have to worry about dating a guy shorter than you. People think short girls are cute sometimes. You can buy shorter dresses and get away with it. (Sometimes.) You have less ways to fall if you trip. It's easier to touch your toes if you're short with short legs like me. I'm pretty sure it's better for dancing and cheer-leading for some reason, but I don't really know about that. You can fit in small places unless you're just totally fat. You don't hit your head on ceiling fans or other things that could concuss you. You can get away with standing on things more than tall people. You don't look like a sky-scraper in heels. You can jump on people's backs and force them to give you piggy-back rides.

Now here's the problems. The biggest one being you can't reach everything and you have to ask for help like a little kid. People don't see you in a crowded hall way and walk right into you. You get mistaken for an eleven year old at the movie theater or get asked if you want a kid's menu. Clothes are often too big, especially jeans. You have to buy short-cut jeans but some brands don't have them and then you look weird. Your face is always awkwardly right by your taller friends' boobs when you try and hug them. You can't play basketball unless you're just really fast or good. It's hard to be fast because one step for a tall person, is like three steps for a short person or someone with short legs. People make fun of you and constantly remind you you're short. Duh, we know that, we can see in a mirror. It's hard to lean over a sink to wash your face. Some restaurant tables are just too high and you always poke yourself in the eye with your straw. You can't see over people when there's a crowd and something exciting is going on, or even just in a movie theater, if a tall person sits in front of you it sucks. It's a lot harder to stay skinny and look slim because you can be short and stout. Like a teapot. There's more bad things, but us short people kind of just learn to deal with it. 

Despite all the troubles that come with being short, I actually prefer it to being tall. Whenever I wear heels I feel too tall. When I'm around little kids for a long amount of time I feel awkward and like they're looking up my nose. It would suck to not be able to date shorter guys. They're always the cutest. I feel weird being above people. I'm just not used to it. I had a dream I was in some other country where everyone was short and I felt like a big, tall, fat, monster. It's just bizarre to me to have my head in the top of the crowd. So, that's why for me, it is alright to be little bitty.