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My life's a
tall story When I was a kid it was lovely being tall, for no one would beat you up, you were never at the receiving end of 'shorty' jokes and no one ever basically bothered with me. I was the tall kid who knew what it was like to be up there and hang out with the big children. But as I grew older being tall was no more a wonderful situation; it became a 'predicament'. School sports meets, remember those? Truthfully speaking I was never much of an athlete - but since I was 'tall' I was considered the next Susanthika in the making! Seriously though, there is not one track event I was not a part of, High Jump, Long Jump, Hurdles (Ugh, I hated those) you name it I've tried it! So did you excel in anything you ask? And I say a vehement 'NO!' I still remember the Captain of my house saying, "But you have such long legs, you should be able to jump at least two feet!" or even "Why don't you try your hands at netball - I'm sure your hands will reach right up to the basket!" And then at swimming, "Now, you see when you stretch your hands like so, you would definitely be able to touch the finish line (or whatever those swimmers call it) way before the others!" Stuff and nonsense I would mutter to myself. I took ten minutes to swim a length and they took less than two! The defeatist attitude didn't do much good; I tried and failed for their benefit. But they'd only say, "Why don't you try tomorrow, maybe your long legs are tired today!" So I took on a new approach, I started bandaging my ankles - and then they'd say, "You poor thing, rest and come back in two days, okay?" I gave up and decided that, Short is the way to go! So while my shorty friends tried hanging on doors to grow tall I started crouching next to them! It didn't help. I was still the tall kid for my classmates were still a foot shorter and therefore nicknamed 'the Outcast'! Adding to all my problems was the fact that my best friend was the shortest kid in class. She was a good soul who never said anything about my height. And then came those dreaded nicknames - Laurel and Hardy! My dear sensitive friend was heartbroken and soon started (you guessed right) going for physiotherapy. That only succeeded in putting a great big dent in her wallet! Then came the time that a cat got stuck in a rain gutter! I the outcast soon turned into superwoman. I can almost still hear the chants as I clambered on to a teacher's desk and then onto a chair that was placed precariously on it and stretched my arms to save that kitten and fell! (Kitten and all, of course!) Ah the cheers. I was badly bruised but feeling jubilant. And then I noticed it - The wretched cat had scraped my long arms left, right and centre. I ran as fast as my long legs would carry me to the sickroom and was informed that I needed a shot! Never again have I clambered to rescue felines in distress! As we grew older, I realised once again that maybe being tall was really not that bad. Since every one kept telling me that I was the lucky one - I had the height! We soon reached the age where we would start going out together. Then came the bomb - for each evening about an hour before we were to meet I would get THE call, informing me politely but firmly NOT to wear a pair of heels and to opt instead for flats! I was heartbroken but there is little that one can do in such instances. Therefore I have never ever had the pleasure of wearing a pair of shoes with a heel of more than an inch! Life can sometimes be so unfair! What about clothes? I'm sure many of the tall kind will agree with me when I say that our darling country caters only to the short kind. Imagine this scenario - you go into a shop and find the ideal pair of trousers and excitedly ask for one in your size. You go into a dressing room to try it on and oh it's three inches above your ankles! There is no hope! The neighborhood tailor seems to be the only one who understands my predicament. Remember the
time that three quarter length clothing became the fad? But when
I tried on those delectable looking skirts they measured exactly
a quarter length less! Oh life! There are wonderful things about being tall too. You see life from a different height and perspective, people try not to torment you, ringing a bell in a bus is a breeze and well, it's just plain nice. But I wish us tall people weren't discriminated and exploited so. And that modern science could come up with an instant 'grow tall, grow short pill' so I could change my height according to a said situation. It would make life so much easier! That's it folks,
I hear the call to put up a few more curtains! |
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