Introduction to a Small Persons World
My name is Marisha Patel and I am five feet tall. Many have
argued that I am only 4’11”, but who really cares if I lie about one inch? I only
weigh 85 pounds. It isn’t that I don’t eat, or the fact that I don’t drink
milk; I am this size because of genetics. My father is average in height, but
with a nickname like “Flaco” (skinny in Spanish) you can assume he isn’t normal
in size for 42. My mother on the other hand is even shorter than I am.
Growing up
I was always the smallest in my grade. Every time we performed the activity
that involved lining up in height order, I knew I would always be the last kid
on the short end. Throughout high school it didn’t seem to be a problem. Once college
hit, oh boy! Every time I go into lecture and sit at a desk, it feels like I am
a lost kindergartener. Everyone around me is so much bigger and can clearly see
the board that’s ahead. Outside of school, the problems only pile up.
I work at Kumon, which is a Grade School learning facility. In the beggining all the students that attended believed that I was one of them. After giving them their daily homework, they soon realized I was actually one of the instructors. There are perks of being tiny though. How many
times do you drop something in between the seat, and center console of the car?
Well if this happens a lot for you, then you know that adjusting your seat all
the way back/front just to dig your hand in from the bottom to reach what you
want, can be irritating. Well for me reaching down the side of the seat is a
piece of cake, and I usually always retrieve what I am looking for. Although I don’t
mind being petite, I would enjoy it if I could receive a few more inches in all
areas. (I would go on about how I can still wear jeans made for kids, but I am
sure you get the picture.)
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| Picture of when my sister (back right) and I (back left) took our nieces and nephew out to the zoo. Basically fit right in. (My niece on the left of me was only 12 at the time, barely had an inch on her) Picture taken July 2015. Here is a video of one of my favortite Ted Talks.... Apollo and The Art of Misdirection |
Hi Marisha! There are perks to being short and tall. Being short means you can fit into tiny spaces because you can easily hide somewhere. That would also help me at work because I always hit my head on the red bars at work since we have to bend down a lot for it, while if i was short it would hurt.
ReplyDeleteI think you are the perfect size. Your face is mature (not to say you look old or anything haha) and it balances out with your height. I laughed so hard while reading about how you can reach down in your seat, now I know who to call whenever I can’t get something. And don’t we all wish we could be just a few inches taller? What a great world it would be if we could do that whenever we wanted. To this day, I still find it so cool that you get to work at a place where you teach children. I bet it doesn’t even feel like a job. I really hope we will be able to see each other more this semester!
ReplyDeleteOh, Marisha, as one short person to another, I have to say: one of the fun things about online is that nobody knows you are short... or if you are lounging in your pajamas in the afternoon (I'm not doing that... today... I swear!). But seriously, I know what you mean about the weird problems that can happen: when I used to teach in a regular classroom I was too short to be able to use most of the chalkboard; I could only reach just part of it, along the bottom — never the middle or the top. Although I think it is very cute that the students at Kumon thought you were one of them: to be NOT intimidating (the way tall people can be, even if they don't mean to) is a gift of its own. The best solution would be to let us grow or shrink AS NEEDED... do you know the story of Vishnu's incarnation as the tiny Vamana? That is the power: being able to use size to your advantage, big or small. Here is Vamana's story if you are curious - Vamana ... and I hope you will enjoy the class!
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm Joanne, and I cannot believe the coincidence in this post! I am also 5 feet tall and around 80 pounds! Most of my friends tell me I look like I'm 12 years old, something I vehemently deny. Luckily, they regret their words once they need to duck their heads or fit in my friend's tiny Mini Cooper. As a fellow short person, I often struggle with looking authoritative too (I once TAed a class and most of my students were taller than me), but I've grown to realize that as long as I act like I'm the leader, most people will believe me (it helps when I have a badge identifying me as the teacher, haha).
ReplyDeleteHi Marisha! I'm doing some extra meet and greet of the people in our class, and loved your name so I came to check out your blog! I was not expecting you to be of hispanic descent (based on the name), but it makes sense with how small you are! In a lot, and I mean a lot, of other countries, you would blend in perfectly! I'm 5'4" and was practically a giant compared to all of the other females in India when I spent some time there. So, like you pointed out, given the right circumstance, it can be very, very beneficial!
ReplyDeleteHey Marisha! I totally get the short aspect of life, although I am 5’4” my father is 6 foot 3 and loves to poke fun of my height! I love going to the zoo and it looks like you and your family had a great time there. I hope that you have a great rest of your semester and can’t wait to read more of your stuff!
ReplyDeleteHey, Marisha! Man, thanks for that introduction; it's really interesting to hear about that part of your life! Come to think of it, I know exactly what you mean about dropping something down by the side console of your car...At a lanky and sometimes ungainly 6'2", I don't always operate so smoothly.
ReplyDeleteYou work at Kumon, too! Do you like it there? I tutor students at the university, and I've done more informal outreach education with littler ones before, so I can say that's my ideal type of work. (I applied to Kumon once back in high school, but alas! they had no use for me.)
Hey, Marisha! Man, thanks for that introduction; it's really interesting to hear about that part of your life! Come to think of it, I know exactly what you mean about dropping something down by the side console of your car...At a lanky and sometimes ungainly 6'2", I don't always operate so smoothly.
ReplyDeleteYou work at Kumon, too! Do you like it there? I tutor students at the university, and I've done more informal outreach education with littler ones before, so I can say that's my ideal type of work. (I applied to Kumon once back in high school, but alas! they had no use for me.)
I'm a shorty too!I'm only 5 feet and 1 inch tall. I completely understand the perks AND benefits of being smaller. My little sister now towers over me, but at least i can still fit into cheap kid's shoes. Luckily half of the people I work with are my height or shorter so I don't feel very left out. Guys think short girls are cuter anyway.
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ReplyDeleteHey Marisha! I totally agree that being able to reach between the seats is a great gift to have. Too many times this happens to my parents, and I'm the only person who can do it. It is also fun to be able to climb on the counters to reach things in cabinets (and it's completely acceptable). The grade school learning facility you work at sounds like a fun place to work.
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ReplyDeleteHi Marisha! I thought I struggled with being short, but after reading your introduction, my 5’3” height doesn’t seem so short. Being short can be difficult sometimes, but it also has its perks, like you said!
ReplyDeleteI think it’s really interesting that you work at Kumon! That is a great way to have a job while also giving back to the community. I’m sure it is very rewarding to help all of those kids!
I can think of at least one place where you would make everyone jealous - an airplane. You'd have so much space relative to anyone else. Sit next to the tallest person there, and they'll be reeeeaalllly jealous. Plus, I bet it makes the kids you help feel more at ease. Kudos on combining the tech tip with the introduction too! Two birds with one very efficient stone.
ReplyDeleteHey Marisha, it's nice to meet you. I'm not really tall or short myself so I don't really know what it's like to on the upper or lower bounds of the spectrum. I really like going to the zoo too so it's cool to see someone post pictures from there. I hope you've been having a good time with this class and this semester and I hope the rest of it goes well for you!
ReplyDeleteHey Marisha! As someone who is 6 '4, I can tell you that I would sometimes love to be shorter and smaller. There are pros and cons to everything! This summer, I interned at a non-profit in Tulsa and my partner was only about 4 '11... we worked perfectly together! Whatever one of us couldn't do, the other jumped right in and finished the job.
ReplyDeleteHi Marisha! I also used to work at a Kumon back home in Dallas and as a fellow short girl, they always mistook me for a student and not an employee, so I definitely can relate.
ReplyDeleteI loved that you included a TedTalk in your introduction, by the way. I just finished watching it and it was so interesting! It took me quite a while to figure out the shirt change. What did you think about it or why did you enjoy it? And do you have an answer for the question he asks at the end?
Hi Marisha! This was a great introduction! You have a great lookout on your height. There are so many things we can't change about ourselves so we might as well embrace it and love it! I used to hate being short when I was younger but now, as I've "grown up" or I guess, gotten older would be more accurate, I have learned to love my height.
ReplyDeleteOkay, Wow. That Ted Talk was so cool! It was a mini magic show! Is there a specific reason it is your favorite Ted Talk?
Hello!! Hey there is totally nothing wrong with being short, at all! I am 5'6" so I would say I'm average. I have a friend who I went to high school with who is 4'11 (an a half) she would always add the half! We were both water girls for the football team and she made the best head rest! It just so happened that her head fits right under my chin, pretty nifty. I also actually wish I was a bit shorter... seems odd I know, but I think short girls are just so cute!
ReplyDeleteThat picture of you with your family is so cute! I also have a really big family with lots and lots of cousins... I can't imagine what life was like for my aunts and uncles when everyone was being born at the same time! Most of my cousins are within 7-9 years of each other, which is pretty interesting. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Marisha! I enjoyed reading your introduction. I love your outlook that you have on your height. I think that there are many perks and advantages of being short! Sometimes I wish I was even smaller or shorter to help out in certain circumstances. I loved seeing the picture of you with your family. I have a pretty big family as well with many relatives I do not even really know very well.
ReplyDeleteHi Marisha! Similar to you always knowing that you'd be in the front row for school activities, I always knew I'd be pretty close to the back since I'm 5'10". Like you said, I think there are many perks that come with being on the smaller side! I am insanely jealous that you can just reach right in-between the seats in your car...I don't really get that luxury. Plus, kids clothes and shoes are so much cheaper than adult sizes, so I really think you lucked out on this whole situation(: I'm excited to read some of your stories!
ReplyDeleteAnd here I thought I was small and skinny growing up! Although I ended up average height, I was always a little on the skinny side too, but not quite that skinny. I do understand the wearing kids-clothes things a little bit though. I have really small feet and when I was shopping for shoes for special event (it was a pageant I had to participate in), I was told to shop the kids section.
ReplyDeleteHello Marisha,
ReplyDeleteI found it entertaining to read about the struggles of someone who is smaller because I am 6’8” so I am obviously on the opposite side of the spectrum. I have always been the first in line when we were told to line up tallest to shortest in school. It is a very interesting opportunity to hear from someone on the opposite side of the spectrum.
Hi Marisha,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your story! I completely agree with your point about being small! I consider myself pretty short as well, and I find that often I have a hard time reaching things and I am constantly asking for help! My little sister finds it hilarious because she is taller than me. It was great to meet you though! :)