‘Oh my god, I wish I was six foot.’

‘Just imagine if I was tall.’

Height is glorified; everyone says they wish they were taller. But, as a tall person, it’s not as good as people think it is; in fact, I would rather be short than tall. 

I stand at a towering 6’ 6”; I gaze over crowds when I walk through the halls. I can’t see everything — contrary to popular opinion — as when I look straight ahead, I can’t see anyone shorter than 5’ 4” in front of me. It’s as if people appear out of thin air in front of me. It’s a part of being tall that I don’t enjoy. It’s weird having people pop up out of nowhere in front of you, and I don’t want to accidentally walk into somebody and hurt them. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are benefits to being tall. For instance, I can reach the top shelf. But seriously, I can’t say being tall isn’t necessarily a good thing. There are perks like the interesting viewpoint and easy access to high places, but are those really benefits? I could easily be replaced by a step ladder or a stool. So, the downsides will always outweigh the upsides.

I don’t fit in the tight school desks, nor in the SUV I drive. My head hits the ceiling and my knees hit my steering wheel, even with the seat all the way back. It’s not only uncomfortable, but can also be dangerous — it’s not safe for my knees to bump into my steering column as it greatly increases the risk of an injury in the case of an accident. Not to mention how annoying people can be; if I had a dollar for everytime I was asked “Do you play basketball?” I would be rich enough to afford a Ferrari, but I wouldn’t fit in it, regardless. 

Being tall is also not great for conversation, believe it or not, because everyone else is literally not on the same level as me. I am constantly looking down onto people’s faces, and it’s a weird experience when talking with teachers and adults. 

It’s things like this which make being tall uncomfortable and annoying. However, there are also more serious medical problems that come with being tall. There are a boatload of problems such as back pains, joint issues and circulation problems that affect taller people on a daily basis. In fact, being tall increases the risk for a multitude of diseases. It’s daunting to think about how something out of your control can casually have a potential drastic impact on your life and well being. 

Serious medical issues and social struggles associated with height are why it’s better to be short or average height. If I were shorter, I would be able to fit in normal sized things, I wouldn’t have to constantly hear about my height every day. I think being shorter, or even average height, is underrated and better than being tall. Because even though being tall is cool, the negatives drastically outnumber the positives.