It Was a VERY Short Day!

I'm not tall. I envy our student helper - I think she's 5' 9". Can't she just give me two inches?

How short am I? Well, I used to be 5' 1". Now I think I'm barely over 5' tall.

It was on the bus this morning when I first saw real shortness. I can't remember when he climbed on, but a fellow hopped onto a seat across the aisle from me. I'm going to say he was under 3 feet tall. Still, he climbed up without a struggle. He was black, middle-aged and his clothes fit well. Think how hard it must be for HIM to find things that fit!

The next encounter was in the library. I had the afternoon shift in the young adult section, and barely saw the younger woman in her 30s or 40s from the reference desk. I'm better at guessing volume than height or distance, so I estimated she was 70+ pounds, and approximately 3' 6". The first fellow was around 50 pounds.

After work, my bus was extra late. We were treated to olfactory punishment in the form of a homeless woman who was reading a plastic-protected sheet of paper - out loud. She smelled strongly of urine - which is prompting me to stand up now and put a fragrance sample in my handbag. She was briefly joined by a homeless man, who looked a bit better than the woman.

The third vertically challenged person looked almost 4' 6". She was loud for her height, and made faces at a baby held in a sling around its mother's neck. The woman's face was exactly at the same level as the baby's. The mother was of above-average height.

At work, I wear sandals with heels about 2-1/2 inches high - close to the upper limit of what is comfortable for me. Even with those few inches, I notice being able to see more, reach things better and I'm more sparkly.

WHAT? My sandals have some tastefully placed rhinestones along the edges of the straps. Which sparkle is still enough to catch the attention of the OFLIC. Older Female Librarians In Charge. I can well imagine them clucking or tsking their disapproval when I'm out of earshot. Not that I care!

How tall - or short - are you? Does your height define you? How?