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Culture > Entertainment

The Struggles of Being Short

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCD chapter.

I am a five foot two girlie. I have been since I was fifteen years old. I remember when I was very little, I was literally four feet tall and my family really wanted me to be able to ride some of the roller coasters at Disneyland. My mom had this method that she used on my sister and I. She would take thick socks, roll them up, and place them into my shoes in order to make me taller. It sounds absolutely bizarre, but I still got to go on the rides! Now, I’m taller than my mom and my sister. They both stand at five foot one, but they are incredibly powerful.  

I have to get a step stool in order to reach the top shelf to get my food! I sometimes even have to climb over counters or on top of white boards in order to reach things. Most of my friends are at least five foot five or above, which means whenever I go in for a hug, I get thrown around every single time. I have however gotten used to being used as an armrest whenever the two of us are standing next to each other. 

I find myself shopping for shorter dresses most of the time due to the fact that whenever I try and go for a long dress, or an elegant ball gown, it completely drowns me. Don’t even get me started on grocery stores. Whenever I’m in these buildings and the product that I’m looking for happens to be at the very top of the shelf, I find myself climbing up the entire shelf trying to reach. I either stand on my cart, stand on the shelf, or jump hoping that I’ll somehow get to the top. Usually somebody who is tall can see that I’m struggling and they reach it for me. I like to think it’s an act of kindness, but it’s probably just a pity because I’m the height of five stacked foot-long sandwiches from Subway.  

Okay, I’ve complained a lot about the struggles of being short, but there are actually some perks with being this height. I will say that I can fit anywhere and it is so comfortable. Falling asleep on a couch or in a car is my cup of tea. I don’t have to worry about my legs spilling over the future. If I’m ever in the backseat of a car during a long drive at night, I can simply just doze off without a care in the world. I don’t have to worry about ducking down under big trees with branches hanging down; I have been the queen of limbo since I was five! 

For all my short girls out there, don’t let anybody tell you that small isn’t powerful. Look at Simone Biles and Jenna Ortega. They’re 4’8 and 5’1! They are queens in their own way. You are a powerful, beautiful queen! Now get your favorite pair of heels, strut into a room, and let people know that you are such a boss babe!  

Amanda is a fourth year Cinema & Digital Media major with a minor in Communications. She enjoys writing, watching movies & TV shows, and spending time with her friends. She hopes to pursue a career in the film industry after UC Davis.