The Height of Summer

Well summer is winding down, but Julie Kirk's Height of Summer is still going strong.  Write about your story of height and look at the Pinterest board she has curated.

Here is my story.

I am 6'0" tall.  My parents are both around my height, but my two brothers are 6'7" and 6'6".  As a girl, it was hard to be that tall.  I always felt like I stood out.  Pants are really hard to find and I know they will only fit if they are marked "tall"...  only a small selection of pants in stores are tall.  Yes, I played volleyball in high school (for one year).  No, I didn't make the basketball team.  See, you have to not only be tall, but also fairly coordinated.  Don't even get me started on shoes.  Do you know how many stores actually carry a size 12 shoe?   There are 3 stores near me.  1. A high quality shoe store where shoes are about $150-250 for a typical shoe. Um I'm a teacher.  I can't afford to drop $200 for a shoe.  2.  Payless shoes (if you don't know what those are, they are trendy, but generally super cheap and uncomfortable).  Again, I'm a teacher and I stand on my feet all day.   3.  A shoe store that is about a 45 minutes drive from my house.   If I need shoes, typically I will go out to the shoe store that is 45 minutes away once or twice a year and buy a pair or two of shoes.  I'll wear the same two pairs of shoes for a couple years.  If I'm in a pinch I'll go out and buy a guy's shoe.  Most of the time my pants cover most of the shoe anyway.  If my feet had been slightly smaller (like a size 11) I could find shoes at any store.  Yes, it's annoying and I'm bitter about it.  And I will be bitter about it until I can find affordable shoes easily.

I will ALWAYS notice if there is a woman in the room that is the same height as me or taller.

My husband is about 5'11".  I have never dated anyone shorter.  Not that I was opposed to it, just that it is basically how it happened.  Women who are tall usually end up with guys of a similar height.
I love this picture taken about 2 years ago.  This is our backyard garden.  Look how tall the sunflowers grew!
Here is me two years ago also.. I love this picture.  Big chairs are fun. 
 When people see Daria they often say, "She's tall for her age, isn't she?"  Actually no.  It's just me.  I'm tall.  Daria has actually been in the lower percentile for height and weight her whole life.  She was in the 19% for height and weight for the longest time.  She is about average now.  I think she will probably grow to be tall, but probably around 5'9"?  Both Andrew's mom and sister are shorter than me.. I think about 5'5"?  I think my tall genes will average out with their genes.

Another big chair on the Union Terrace in Madison.
When I was kid, giraffes were my favorite animal.  I made a clay giraffe in art class which I was so proud of.


So, how about you?  How has your height shaped your life?

3 comments

Julie Kirk said...

Thanks so much for joining in with this Marcia! There's some great photos there.

It's funny how you experience some of the same difficulties as us short-folk - but in reverse. Things can be tricky for anyone not deemed as 'average'. Strange thing is though ... I've now had a few comments from people who fit the 'average' profile ... but who don't like the sound of being average!

You're on the board now with all the others: http://pinterest.com/notesonpaper/the-height-of-summer-2012/

Thanks again.

Julie :-)

Jimjams said...

I just popped by to congratulate you for being the tallest in Julie's Chart. I sympathise with your shoe problems because I had that a lot when I was growing up - UK Size 8 (which I think is a US 9) was unusual when I was younger. Gradually though things have got easier and a lot of shops now stock a 9 ... I never get much choice in the sales though.
I'm now beginning to shrink which is a bummer - perhaps I'll start wearing higher heels!

Dawn said...

I've always struggled with trousers too so even though I'm only 5'10 I have long legs and a short body. Never had an issue with shoes as I'm only 7 1/2!