tanvi's digital journal

I am 5 feet 11 inches tall. This makes me much taller than not just the average woman, but also the average man in my country. This is not a boast or a complaint–just a plain fact.

People ask me about my height all the time. The remarks I have received on my height range from unflattering to adulation, but the most common ones are:

• How tall are you? 6 feet? Wow!
• Do you play basketball? (Ans: NO)
• How will you find a man to marry?
• How’s the weather up there?
• Can you take the group selfie? All of us will be able to come in the frame then.
• I feel so short when I stand next to you, could you stand somewhere else?

I don’t mind people commenting on my height because I’m used to it. There was a time when I would get annoyed because my height would be the only thing someone would ask me about, but I’ve realized that it is only natural for them to do so because I literally stand out. I now happily engage with height-related queries, requests, and jokes.

However, one thing I fail to understand is why some people are so utterly shocked to see a woman so tall. They halt, widen their eyes, and let out a soft gasp. I am not exaggerating. These kind of reactions are equal parts fascinating and weird.

Keeping those people in mind, I would like to state that I might be really tall, but I am not an alien. Giraffe, maybe, but not an alien. I feel, think, and act like a normal human being. I probably strain my neck and slouch my back more than required, but otherwise I am perfectly normal.

This is essentially the main point I wanted to convey with this post– that a very tall girl is not an alien. She has the same characteristics as any other girl. For that matter, anyone whose appearance deviates from the norm is still a human being and not an alien. Okay? Thanks.

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Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way… let’s get to discussing the good and not-so good things about being a tall girl:

Good:

• Easy to see things from afar: The ability to spot things from a distance is my favorite part of being tall. Especially in crowded places like temples or concerts.
• Great ice-breaker: 9 out of 10 people ask me about my height when I first meet them. Talking about my height is is a reasonable and polite way to kickstart a conversation.
• A literal helping hand: Cleaning fans, putting up the lights, taking group selfies, or any activity that requires one to stretch their arms does not take much effort for me to do.
• Weight gain doesn’t show that easily: Tall people look skinnier in general. It’s a perceptual illusion. (The drawback is that if you don’t watch your weight and allow it to increase, it will eventually show, and that will make you look humongous both vertically and horizontally.)

Not-so-good:

• Exposure to a lot of scalps: There’s nothing that can be done about this so I will not elaborate.
• Tough to find well-fitting clothes and shoes: I have to put a stone on my heart whenever I go shopping for clothes or footwear, because many of the items I like don’t fit me properly, or don’t fit at all. Especially shoes. I usually have to go to the unisex section to find my size.
• Insecurity and awkwardness: I’ve been insecure of my height for a long time. I’ve felt that my height makes me less of a girl; that I’m inelegant and un-ladylike. It’s taken a lot of positive self-talk to get comfortable in my skin. There are still some moments when I get conscious of my height (for example, while posing for group photos or hanging out in a group in which the next tallest person in 5 feet 6 inches), and when I do, my entire body language tends to becomes awkward.

In conclusion, being tall comes with its own unique set of advantages and drawbacks, much like everything else in life. Life isn’t much different at six feet than it is at five. 🙂

~Tall girl rant complete~

P.S.: I was browsing through tall people specific content and I found a website that is of tall people, by tall people, for tall people – https://artoftall.com/. It’s hilarious. I love the internet sometimes.