Life On The Small Side

     I have been thinking about doing this for awhile and I am going to try this out. I have been living life on the “small side” since birth and it has been an adventure. I am going to try and discuss the good, the bad and the humorous things. There is never a dull moment, that is for sure and you have to learn to “roll with the punches” as most anyone does as it comes to life.

     The first thing you learn is the world is not gauged for anyone extra small or extra tall with each presenting special challenges. When you are small, going to the grocery store can become interesting. You walk in and start shopping pushing your cart along. Coming to one of the needed items you notice things have been rearranged so what you need is on the top shelf. Rats, now you have a choice to make since the “grabber” for getting high things is conveniently (once again) sitting at home. The choices are: asking a stranger to please reach the thing for you (which most of the time people really don’t seem to mind if you ask politely), go get a store employee to get it down (which can make you feel like you’re interrupting their work) or the least favorable to step up on the lowest shelf and try to get it yourself. Most of we older folks have been brought up to be fiercely independent so it hurts to have to ask but physical realities overtake those feelings and really it isn’t bad. It can often lead to teaching opportunities about being a little different. But when push comes to shove you find a way to get the job done.

     A second thing which comes up is buying appliances. Should seem simple enough but you still work at trying to make things a little easier. One example is the clothes washer. A front loader certainly makes the job easier to handle. Things get interesting when attempting to get things out of the bottom of a top loading machine. Another is the freezer. Opt for an upright rather than chest style. As a child there was a fear of falling in and the top closing when reaching for things out of the bottom. There was thankfulness each season when Mom and I finished freezing fruits and vegetables for the year plus the packaged beef which came each fall from the meat processor which filled the freezer to the top again. To get things out of the bottom I would either pull up a chair to stand on and reach or there was always jump and kind of hang off of my belly to get it (would you believe that was painful?). Anyway, that was kind of a lesson in overcoming fear because did I really want to tell Mom I wouldn’t do what she asked to get the stuff out for supper or lunch? Nah, you didn’t tell Mom and Daddy no. Then think about the stove. I started cooking dinner for the family when I was eleven and Mom went back to work. Was I tall enough to reach the control knobs on the back? Not really so being inventive came in again. I would pull a chair up to the stove and start cooking. Not that the meals were anywhere near great and I apologize for that, dear family. I was trying my best and learning at the same time. At least something was ready to go on the table when Mom got home at night. Thank goodness I have learned much in the intervening years and can put out a pretty darn good meal

     School was another place where life was interesting. Particularly gym class where I did my best to try and keep up with the others as my lack of height became more and more apparent as we got older. I was actually fairly athletic growing up with two big brothers. They were both three sport athletes in High School and did pretty well for themselves. Back in our day there were few things for girls to do which were even remotely athletic. How much this has changed. Cheerleading was the big thing. Marching band was pretty good exercise, too. Yes, I survived marching band up until High School when the director began to put pinwheels into our routines. If I was on the inside I was fine as that took small steps. But on the outside was a whole different ball of wax. I really had to work to stay with things (think faking playing that clarinet and more about running). I ended up quitting band after the first semester my freshman year for several reasons. I still loved athletics and fondly remember playing ball with my brothers after the evening milking was done. Even after taking a ball bat to the noggin (for obvious reasons I don’t remember much) and it really was an accident, folks, the result of which was not being able to see any direction but down for close to a month.  Another aside I found out later there actually were folks in the community who thought my smallness was due to that incident, wrong! There were many things which made school life, shall we say, very interesting. Suffice it to say I was more than overjoyed when I could start driving myself to school and not have to ride the bus. Teasing and other events could be pretty much an everyday occurrence. In retrospect I brought some of it on myself due to immaturity but some was really uncalled for and really left a mark upon my mind.  I was already very unsure of myself for many reasons and this only added to it. High School graduation couldn’t come quickly enough for me.

     I really have to say I thank God my family didn’t let me use my height as an excuse for things. It sure made me be independent which isn’t all bad. I grew up in church and came to faith at about age ten while watching a Billy Graham crusade on TV. There wasn’t anything really dramatic which happened but things grew slowly through the years learning more about the Bible and His way. He has provided some real opportunities as time has gone on for some neat events in life but I’ll bring this to a close for now.