(no subject)
I've been thinking a lot about my aversion to people flaunting their tallness at me, and I think it may have originated in something that happened in my youth, doctor, like you said it might."
"Please, call me Julie. I think it will make both of us more comfortable."
"Thank you, then, Julie. You see, I was flipping through my little brother's Chinese book the other night, reading the old conversations I'd been tested on, when I came across a page dedicated to describing physical features. There were good looking and bad looking faces, with the appropriate Chinese words under them, as well as several other things, including short and tall."
"Ah, I see. And. . . ?"
"The tall person, in his space was wearing a basketball jersey, ruffling the hair of a very angry short person in the next space over. I think this was damaging, leaving me with a negative view of short people, and the view that the only way to be successful in life was to possess great height. I know it's ridiculous, but I was only in sixth grade and very impressionable. We studied that unit for two whole weeks, every day having that image pounding into my brain. . . I was average height at the time. Everyone thought I was going to end up very tall, like my father, people in my church predicted I would be five eleven or so. But then. . ."
"Yes, Ms. Spence?"
"This is very hard for me, I'm sorry. It's just so hard to say. Well, I'll just get it over with. I stopped growing at the age of thirteen, leaving me at the height I am now. I obviously have not ended up at 5' 11" or anywhere near it, and though I know this isn't logical, this gives me this constant subconscious feeling that I'm never going to be successful, I'm always going to be pushed around, dealt the short end in life, and be that person whose hair is being ruffled condescendingly EVERY TIME I SEE SOME ONE TALLER THAN ME!"
"That must be quite often, then."
"Gah! Shut up, you fiend! Brazen hussy! Patronize me, will you? Well then, we'll just see about that!"
"Aiee! Ms. Spence, please calm down. . . nonono, put the stapler down. . . GAH!" Silence.
"Please, call me Julie. I think it will make both of us more comfortable."
"Thank you, then, Julie. You see, I was flipping through my little brother's Chinese book the other night, reading the old conversations I'd been tested on, when I came across a page dedicated to describing physical features. There were good looking and bad looking faces, with the appropriate Chinese words under them, as well as several other things, including short and tall."
"Ah, I see. And. . . ?"
"The tall person, in his space was wearing a basketball jersey, ruffling the hair of a very angry short person in the next space over. I think this was damaging, leaving me with a negative view of short people, and the view that the only way to be successful in life was to possess great height. I know it's ridiculous, but I was only in sixth grade and very impressionable. We studied that unit for two whole weeks, every day having that image pounding into my brain. . . I was average height at the time. Everyone thought I was going to end up very tall, like my father, people in my church predicted I would be five eleven or so. But then. . ."
"Yes, Ms. Spence?"
"This is very hard for me, I'm sorry. It's just so hard to say. Well, I'll just get it over with. I stopped growing at the age of thirteen, leaving me at the height I am now. I obviously have not ended up at 5' 11" or anywhere near it, and though I know this isn't logical, this gives me this constant subconscious feeling that I'm never going to be successful, I'm always going to be pushed around, dealt the short end in life, and be that person whose hair is being ruffled condescendingly EVERY TIME I SEE SOME ONE TALLER THAN ME!"
"That must be quite often, then."
"Gah! Shut up, you fiend! Brazen hussy! Patronize me, will you? Well then, we'll just see about that!"
"Aiee! Ms. Spence, please calm down. . . nonono, put the stapler down. . . GAH!" Silence.