They’re short and there’s nothing they can do about it except learn to live with their crazy shortness. For this reason, we respect them and think they’re cool.
If you’re really, really short, you feel it, because this is your life:
• Forget seeing anything at concerts. Sure, everybody loves being behind you, but at what price? The standing area is a bad scene and mosh pits are strictly off limits. No, you’re stuck sitting at the bar or watching from the balcony.
• You can’t reach anything. Kitchen cupboards and closest shelves are bad enough, but the worst is when you find yourself somewhere alone and stoolless. People, if you’ve ever found yourself climbing the hotel bar fridge to reach the coffee filters or stepping on the metal grocery store shelf to reach the hot sauce then you know what I’m talking about.
• Hard to date people. Well, not hard, but complicated. I mean, would you date someone really, really short? If not, you see the problem here. And don’t even get me started the short-guys-dancing-with-tall-girls things. Fellas, I been there, too. It’s not easy.
• You can forget about that pro-volleyball career. You might still make it as a referee, but that’s about it.
• You’re constantly adjusting driver’s seats and mirrors. On top of that, really, really tall people complain when they get in the car after you and have to adjust everything because they can’t fit.
• Some roller coasters are off limits. Minimum height requirements are clearly relics from a discriminatory society that inhabited this land before us.
It really is a tough life.
So next time you see a really, really short person, break out the empathy. Remember: they’re short and there’s nothing they can do except learn to live with their crazy shortness. Sure, they buy cheaper children’s clothes, find the best spots in Hide and Seek, sleep easier on couches, easily avoid walking into tree branches, are more comfortable at movies, and curl nicely into cramped spooning arrangements, but they also have to live life with a lot of limits. In this upside-down and inside-out world, that’s worth something.
So go on and throw them a smile and a nod, a cracking high five, and some quiet and humble respect.
AWESOME!
120 Comments
November 27, 2009 at 12:14 am
Hilariously awesome.
December 31, 2009 at 11:43 pm
I loved it and thought that it was “Hilariously awesome” as well.
November 27, 2009 at 12:42 am
god you’re stupid.
November 27, 2009 at 10:52 am
Why? Just because you didn’t get it? Because the authors reasons didn’t resonate with you? Since you were a subscriber, I have to assume you were a reader for at least a short while, and if you haven’t figured out by now that the author believes everyone’s uniqueness is awesome, then I’m afraid you’re the stupid one. Unsubscribing from a blog that is taller than you, isn’t going to fix your problem.
December 3, 2009 at 8:20 pm
wow she doesnt need a whole paragraph.
calm down .
November 27, 2009 at 12:43 am
I am really, really short, but it’s not awesome because people *don’t* respect us. We are constantly teased and never taken seriously because our limitations are exaggerated. :-(
December 4, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I agree. I’m short too. I don’t find this article amusing at all. Being short has earning a lot of shit from people who have no idea what it’s like.
December 4, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I have found that a lot of my short friends get dates all the time. So, I’m not sure if that part is true.
January 4, 2010 at 11:47 pm
I would like to disagree. My sister is really short, and she’s one of the toughest persons I know. I mean, she has accomplished a whole lot of shit that at first thought was impossible. You just gotta stand up for yourself and try. Yes, I mock her for size as others might but she doesnt care because she knows how to live with it and take it up to her advantage.
November 27, 2009 at 12:45 am
…and unsubscribed.
November 27, 2009 at 12:12 pm
It is ok to not like something sometimes. Don’t give up that easily, though. Certainly, the author’s quality of writing is Great. We, humans, cannot help feeling sad about some of our own traits ( or shortcomings ) that nature dishes out to us without our permission. We are within our right to say that those ” weaknesses ” do not make us feel “awesome” .
Let us not Throw the Baby with the Bath water, though. For those that may find something offensive, do not give up on the whole thing at the same time. In the grand scheme of things, most Human beings are not perfect. Some people’s fears may not be as obvious as being fat/tall/short, black, white, yellow, etc. etc. Some Internal turmoils can be far more scary for the victims. The rest of the world may not be able to see those fears as easily.
So, Hats off to the author for giving us a website to look forward to each day.
November 30, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Mary – You made my day. Thanks :)
December 4, 2009 at 4:56 pm
You seem like my dad. Long, drawn out double decker paragraphs.
November 27, 2009 at 1:20 am
15 years old and 5 feet tall here. Good times.
December 2, 2009 at 10:13 am
18 and 4′ 10″
December 3, 2009 at 12:49 pm
31 and 5′ – hang in there! There are some benefits, and we can always wear super high heels.
December 31, 2009 at 10:56 am
Wow i’m 15 years old and 5 feet tall, too.
somehow, i guess we’ll survive..
November 27, 2009 at 1:33 am
Wow enjoyed reading this post. I added your feed to my reader.
November 27, 2009 at 2:08 am
haha. i am 5 foot 3 which doesn’t seem too short for a girl, but people notice. had to use a stool to get something from a high cabinet today. tippy toes don’t cut it. good things come in small packages!
November 27, 2009 at 2:28 am
What’s next, a post about how awesome disabled people are because they get to ride around in wheelchairs all day long, or a post about how cool retarded kids are because they get to wear those bitchen helmets? You, my friend, are a mental MIDGET; your humor is SMALL-minded; and your capacity for empathy is STUNTED. In sum, you need to GROW up.
November 27, 2009 at 8:16 am
Uhhhhh…. there’s a big difference between lighthearted and complimentary joking about short guys having trouble playing volleyball or adjusting rearview mirrors and your insulting comments about “retarded kits wearing bitchen helmets”
November 27, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Very harsh statements, indeed.
Something ” awesome” maybe how a disabled person found a method to overcome their hardship. I once saw a TV show where they were showing some examples of these situations e.g. a person with no hands and arms had to use their toes to feed themselves. The effort that a disabled person is able to put into accomplishing ordinary tasks that most people take for granted, is Enlightening. That is what could be considered “Awesome” in this case.
November 27, 2009 at 2:31 am
I feel very fortunate to be short and female. For the guys, it’s much tougher.
But I have many-a-time served as an armrest, obliged tiny tasks with my tiny hands, and even stood on my tippy-toes to swipe my debit card at a gas station.
And I am a towering 5 foot creature.
I love my height. I wouldn’t trade it.
December 4, 2009 at 5:52 pm
you sound adorable!! =)
November 27, 2009 at 3:05 am
Shorter people are more prone to those diseases because it’s easy for them to eat as much as bigger people even though their bodies don’t use as much energy. However, shortness by itself has been shown to increase lifespan in animals, so long as lifestyle is adjusted proportionally.
November 27, 2009 at 3:58 am
Hahaha, this is so awesome. When I saw the one with really really tall people, I was just waiting for this one. I’m pretty short. I’m not a midget.. well.. I think I’m a “legal” midget. I’m almost 4ft 10 in. and I’m 18. I always have to say “almost” because I’m not QUITE there yet. I have to say that all the things that were talked about in this post, I could definitely relate to and it was an awesome thanksgiving present as well. I DO feel respected as a short person. I always get the best spots at concerts because people feel so bad for me. hahahaa, anyways. Thanks Neil, you’re someone to be thankful for. =)
November 27, 2009 at 4:29 am
Hehe as a 5′ girl, I salute you, great post!
And I don’t consider myself short, I’m fun-sized!
November 27, 2009 at 4:30 am
I’ve always loved this blog.
And then I read this: “Hard to date people. Well, not hard, but complicated. I mean, would you date someone really, really short?”
…wow, hi, that is more than a little insulting.
I’m unsubscribing too. This pissed me off quite a lot.
November 27, 2009 at 8:13 am
its not insulting at all its true…… i’ve heard a lot of my girlfriends say they wouldn’t date a guy shorter than them…
lily you may not agree with the author’s point but i’m guessing thats because you live in a fairytale dreamworld
November 27, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Wow, but it’s true. It is hard to date.. I mean, he’s just being honest. I’m super short and yeah, height does come to mind! Not that it REALLY matters but it really is something that crosses peoples minds. Sometimes people have that mindset that says “shorter guys might have a hard time finding a taller girl to date” and it’s just something that COMES UP. He said it was ‘complicated’ and it is. Being 4′ 10″ and a girl, It’s hard to say that I like this guy that’s 7 ft tall and if we start dating, it’s not bad, it’s not at all bad, but sure it might be complicated. Don’t be babies about it.
November 27, 2009 at 5:16 am
Heh, this was funny :) I’m a 6 ft girl myself and my best friend is 5 ft something. We tease eachother constantly and when we hug we either have to go the *her head smushed in my bosom* or *me squatting down* route.
Love this blog.
November 27, 2009 at 9:56 am
Wow, really struck some nerves on this one, huh?
I appreciate your sense of humor and sticking your neck out on this one (Geez, who knew?) ’cause it points out how shallow we can really be (like, why *wouldn’t* we date a short person – and it *is* true) and that yeah, it can be tough and they deserve their due respect.
You are, indeed, *awesome*.
November 27, 2009 at 10:37 am
5′1″ and proud. obviously, it’s not thatt big of a deal because i’m a girl. but it has it’s limitations. at least i have the benefit of being adorable.
November 27, 2009 at 10:42 am
Awesome comes in all shapes and sizes!
My great aunt, Jeanette, was a hugely awesome really, really short person. As kids, she was the only adult we could look in the eye. She was the only older person we could trust to understand us. Because she was one of us. Not just because of her stature. No, she really talked to us, joked around with us, played with us, laughed ALL the time, and made us feel like we belonged. She gave us hope that adulthood wasn’t all mortgage payments and stiff clothing. She loved us, and we loved her right back! Awesome!
November 27, 2009 at 10:43 am
Amy, Ted, Lily…
Please come back. Look at the whole body of work here — it’s positive and although tounge in cheek, is never meant to be offensive.
If you look closely, you’ll realize the author is talking about himself in parts of the post especially with the awkward, dancing with taller girls at the middle school dance, part.
November 27, 2009 at 10:46 am
Also, my first long-term relationship was with a guy who was shorter than me and it didn’t matter to me at all.
November 27, 2009 at 11:03 am
was he bigger than me?
Oh, wait…you already covered that.
November 27, 2009 at 11:16 am
So many people totally not getting this.
Not awesome. :(
November 27, 2009 at 11:22 am
I have never had an issue with being short (5′1″). So I don’t agree with most of the stuff that was said (the concert thing, yes!!) but I do think being short is AWESOME, so thanks for saying it Neil! I also realize the author is male and therefore from a different perspective; especially the dating one, I know many girls who would be uncomfortable dating a guy shorter than they are.
November 27, 2009 at 11:36 am
Whoa whoa whoa…
I’ve always loved this blog, but uh…
How is this awesome? Seeing other people in misfortune over their height? Sure, a good deal of short people embrace it. But you just pointed out every ‘flaw’ that the vertical challenge seems to face.
Why is this here? I’m 6′3” and somehow offended. XD
Likewise, I hope you’ll learn from your mistake of adding ones like this. It looks like a few people are going to unsubscribe. I won’t though. I like this blog.
November 27, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Agreed. I really, really think it could’ve been written a different way, to actually make it seem more positive and lighthearted. I really don’t see how pointing out every “negative” and “flaw” those of us who fall in the not-so-tall category have to deal with is awesome. :/
November 29, 2009 at 7:36 pm
You are the one who used the words “misfortune” and “flaw.” You gotta problem with short people or something? Fail. You should probably take all 6′3″ of yourself and go pitifully attempt to take up for someone else. Us unfortunate short people can handle ourselves, thanks.
November 27, 2009 at 11:39 am
And I have reread this a few times to make sure that I’m ‘getting’ it all…it looks like she is trying to say “Hey, DON’T make fun of short people; respect them!” Okay…but what if she made one about BLACK people? And made a list of all adversity that black people have to face? I guarantee that people would NOT be happy.
November 27, 2009 at 11:46 am
Well, I’ll tell you this…if Neil had “old-timey minstrel shows” pencilled in for a spot in the top ten, he’s probably removed it.
November 27, 2009 at 12:00 pm
I don’t understand how this is “awesome” at all… Considering I check out the site everyday and LOVE it, this really shocked and upset me. Didn’t think it was your style…
November 27, 2009 at 12:15 pm
This isn’t awesome at all. I’m short myself and it seems that you only point out the negative aspects on being short.
If you wanted to make a “short people are awesome” post, focus on the positives!
November 27, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Wow, there wasn’t this kind of backlash for the really, really tall people post…and it was in the same format. What is the difference here exactly?
I still think you’re doing a great job Neil!
November 27, 2009 at 12:44 pm
My wife is a certifiable “short person”, and I absolutely think she is awesome, so I couldn’t agree with this post more.
And I’m truly shocked that this post has offended a handful of people. A few points:
1) The post doesn’t seem to be written in a derogatory manner at all. It is celebrating all of our differences and uniqueness, but with this site’s usual light-hearted tone and feel.
2) It’s doubtful that anyone is reading this as their first post from this blog, so I’m not sure how someone who is familiar with Neil’s writing or with the sentiments contained here at 1000awesomethings.com wouldn’t be inclined to at least give a little benefit-of-the-doubt here, even if this particular post didn’t resonate with you. Does the author seem like a big jerk that is trying to poke fun at someone’s short comings? Or have the prior 375 posts proven to you that the author is an uplifting and optimistic guy, who is always looking to find the brighter side in everything, and help us all to celebrate those things on a daily basis.
3) Thin-skinned people. NOT Awesome.
Keep up the great work, Neil. I’d subscribe multiple times if I could!
November 27, 2009 at 12:54 pm
People……LIGHTEN UP!!!!!! It’s meant for a laugh! I mean really, if you are offended by this you are on the wrong blog! Comedy is comedy folks. Focus on the “bigger”(pun very much intended) picture! Oh and I’m 6′1”. Im sure that will piss people off too!
November 27, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Wow! What a response. This is a list of awesome things. They are saying that really short people are awesome. I agree!
Pros: You can stand up in an airplane or greyhound bus, even if you’re in the window seat.
You’ve never hit your head on anything.
Your pants are never too short.
Sometimes you’re chest height. (boys)
Cute boys will always reach something for you.
You can always find yourself is school pictures because you were always placed bottom right.
You never have to dust the top of the fridge.
November 27, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I love the “find yourself in school pictures” one. So true, and too funny.
November 27, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Good call! Haha, in elementary and jr. high, I was super easy to find in the school pictures! Never thought of it that way, I hated being one of the shortest ones in the class, thanks for that.
High school I hit a growth spurt and ended up one of the tallest girls in the class, so now I have to look a little harder to find myself in the pictures. Oh well :)
November 27, 2009 at 1:31 pm
how about when really, really short people date really, really tall people? 8D i think that should make the list for sheer cuteness.
also, i never noticed until now, but most of the people who comment on here are super obnoxious. i’m sorry. :(
November 27, 2009 at 1:53 pm
5′ here and in total agreement with this post: I am awesome! Not reaching stuff, failed volleyball dreams and the concerts are all problems, but the pros outweight the cons!
Being short is a great way to meet people since we’re constantly asking strangers to grab stuff off the top shelf. Also at airports some kindly person will always volunteer to grab my luggage off the tram thing when they see me struggling to reach! Basically being short is a lifetime of people not expecting much of you physical-labour wise, awesome!
November 27, 2009 at 2:04 pm
i am a 5.5 guy and I have to agree it’s somewhat funny but It’s insulting too
November 27, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Wow, where were all of you offended people during the Really really tall people thread?
The old adage is true: you can please some people all of the time, all people some of the time, but you can’t please all people all the time. :)
November 27, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Wait a minute, I thought that the person who did this blog was a girl?
At least, the entry about removing your bra seemed to make me think so.
December 10, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Nah, Neil is a guy. We think. He just likes to include a few womanly posts so we don’t feel left out (maybe his wife contributes?)
November 27, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I am 4′ 10″ at 16 years old and teased all the time. I have random people on the street come up to me and call me short. It isn’t fun but I think I love being this way anyways. (My best friend is 6 feet tall too which makes public appearances interesting)
November 27, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Good thing I’m short because I’m shorter than my fiance, who is short too and now we don’t have to feel short. XD
November 27, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Neil. I don’t know if this many people have bashed your posts but please don’t delete this post. Some people don’t see the beauty of it. I hope it’s not making you think twice or say “Oh, some people don’t like it.. maybe I should change it.”
NO! It’s your site. KEEP IT! Please.
As long as you don’t truly offend people (pointing out flaws that people live with doesn’t count) you’re fine. You haven’t done anything wrong. Keep it up. I CAN’T WAIT for the book!!! =)
November 27, 2009 at 6:40 pm
If it were not for the shorter people, tall people would not be called tall.
November 27, 2009 at 7:03 pm
who are you kidding. If you are short life is not worth living. if you are a little guy that is how you will be treated: insignificant
November 27, 2009 at 8:19 pm
If people have made you feel that way, consider so many things that could be worse. The biggest is Health. So many people have such painful health issues. Height is a cosmetic matter. Being pretty/handsome/nice colour skin etc. are God-given advantages & we cannot quarrel with that. Surely, there are many beautiful things to do in Life even for us short people. In fact, I am amazed at the comment just below from ” lita”. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to connect with her.
November 28, 2009 at 3:16 am
Jack: I’m a 5′4 male. Shortest guy on the varsity track team. I can’t tell if you’re actually short and just pissed off about it or are tall and trying to put us short guys down because you’re insecure but I can tell you that being a short guy is not truly that bad. People only treat you insignificantly if you treat yourself insignificantly and if you have confidence in yourself people will look past your height. I’m 17 and haven’t grown for 5 years. You have to accept your body and look at the positives. The one thing that I love about being short is that women aren’t intimidated by me so I can really talk to them, therefore I have lots of friends that are girls.
January 18, 2010 at 3:03 pm
I’m a 5′4″ guy also! And at nearly 21, I’m not likely to grow much taller :-)
November 27, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Am I the only one that finds short guys really, really attractive? ; ; i’m dead serious. the shorter, the better. I’ve always wanted to be two or three inches shorter, and I’m short already.
November 28, 2009 at 3:16 am
5′4 and single ;)
November 27, 2009 at 11:50 pm
I’m agreeing with the people who have a bit of a qualm with this post. While it doesn’t offend me, it really donesn’t leave me feeling good either, as it seems like you just point out all the negatives about being short. What’s awesome about that? I really think this could’ve been written a bit differently in order to actually seem positive. Right now, it’s just a serious bummer.
November 28, 2009 at 12:21 am
I went on this site hoping to be cheered up, and instead I was reminded that both me and my kids are likely to have a shorter life span.
Luckily the positive spin on shortness from some of these comments helped a bit :)
November 28, 2009 at 12:38 am
aw, moshpits/front row concerts aren’t too terrible for us short folk. i like being on my toes (if that doesn’t sound too weird) & most of the time, you can see through the heads anyways; you just gotta learn how to manuever and shove back the right way.
plus! while i still manage to get many waving elbows to the head, i get the occassional headpat apology and that’s just flippin’ hilarious. this wasn’t awesome! but it reminded me of it so, er nice try today!
November 28, 2009 at 12:46 am
I have a great one that’s right up your alley. why don’t you add “black people.” Black people have to deal with so much crappy stuff in their lives, that you should really feel sorry for them! You know black people have so much to go through like 1. If you’re a man, you’re more likely to go to jail than go to college. 2. Infant mortality rates are twice that of white people. 3. And you’re 70% more likely to have heart disease and diabetes. So it’s totally awesome to be black! If you see black person you should give them a high five because it totally sucks to be them!
What? Why are you mad? You just don’t get it. God, where is your sense of humor?
November 28, 2009 at 1:07 am
Wow. I think it’s funny that people are offended by this so much more than the Tall People post, which is almost exactly the same format. Napolean Syndrome much, guys?
As a shorty myself, 5′ 1″, I agree. My 5′ 10″ bf always tells me he’s gunna wind up perma-hunched if he want’s to kiss me. Also getting mistaken for a highschool kid when I’m past college is a mix of funny/annoying.
But getting ids clothes is great.
It’s about time the shorties got some repect. I approve.
November 28, 2009 at 2:09 am
My wife: 5′ even. Me: 6′ even + 30 years together
multiplied by 3 tall sons, divided by 3 young but growing grandboys = Awesome life, lots of reaching for things, lots of clothes, lots of LOVE!!!
November 28, 2009 at 2:19 am
Wow. Interesting. I’ve subscribed to this blog for quite a while and never thought to read the comments….sure are lotsa sensitive people around here. I am five feet nothing and find nothing to complain about…..well, maybe the syrup bottle on the back of the top shelf at the market but….jeez, I don’t know…seems there’s lots worse things to be worried about. I read today’s entry and smiled…I can relate! Well, except the bit about shorter life spans but…..that’s just statistics! Lighten up, guys!
November 28, 2009 at 5:07 am
The link says it’s more about short people who got that way due to stunted growth from various economical factors. If you’re just naturally short, I think it doesn’t apply so much. Like me with a short mom and aunts and granny.
November 28, 2009 at 5:32 am
I get it. I don’t know if I like it but I get it. I usually love the heck out of this blog. I tell everyone I know about it.
This post well…. ya. It stands by the twitter rule of it takes 1000 posts to get a group of engaged followers and 1 possibly insulting post to drive a bunch away.
I respect the blogger and won’t hang him out to dry on one post. My only issue is that every other post did in fact have an awesomeness to it that you didn’t really realize till you read and it, had an epiphany and were like man that is totally awesome.
This post on the other hand not so much.
November 28, 2009 at 5:47 am
I think I take back my previous comment. I don’t know if you can hate on this until you read the really, really tall people post.
I don’t know why but I felt kind of offended when it was about short people even though I’m 6′1. I didn’t think their was a height double standard but apparently… wrong.
Continue to push the boundaries. I’ll keep following you till number one even if it is years in the works.
November 28, 2009 at 8:17 am
Hmmm…
As someone very short, I can’t say I’m overly offended by this post. There are a lot worse things that we put up with. And a lot of what was said is factual, well I find for myself anyway.
However, it did make me scratch my head a little, what the ‘awesome’ part of being short was, according to this post. The conclusion was that the fact short people still get on with their life, despite their disadvantages. This did come across as a tad patronising, however I don’t believe the author meant for it to be so.
Let’s not be too picky. It’s meant to be humourous, just like the other 374 posts.
Besides. It’s nice to make the list lol.
November 28, 2009 at 8:22 am
19years old and 5 feet flat.
Awesome. And those said are definitely part of my life haha
November 28, 2009 at 11:28 am
This post made me want to shoot myself. Really was expecting the opposite when I came here, not someone telling me why my life must be terrible….geesh. Couldn’t you have just said short people can maneuver through large crowds and leave it at that? If you had any taste at all you would delete this.
November 28, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Lol *is short* 5″1 and not growing any taller! :(
November 28, 2009 at 1:52 pm
As soon as I read the post, I knew there would be a bit of backlash (even though its in the same format as the ‘really, really tall people’) post. There are more short people out there than tall people, and height is a sensitive subject for many. That being said, I think the part about shorter life spans is probably what people don’t like-its not really awesome being told you’re going to die before others -even if its true. Those who have followed this blog daily know that thats not what the author was trying to convey with the post.
November 28, 2009 at 3:05 pm
It’s human nature to classify ourselves using extremes. If we’re not one, then our mind tells us that we’re the other.
With that in mind, if you’re not hitting your head on the doorframe every time you enter a building, then chances are you were thinking of yourself when you read this post. If that’s true, and you haven’t read the really, really tall people post (which was written to be identical to this one), then you might have thought Neil was nineteen feet tall, and an insensitive jerkwad to boot.
If we think for about three seconds, all of us can come up with something that we’d like to change about ourselves that we can’t. For some people, being really, really short, or really, really tall is their thing. We all have our own crosses to bear.
The message here is that we all have things that make us unique, and while we may wish we could change some of those things, sometimes we can’t. We are who we are, and life gives us the privilege of embracing our individuality and having our own go at the world.
That’s pretty awesome in my book.
November 28, 2009 at 6:31 pm
child or tiny person is a fun game
November 29, 2009 at 12:57 am
Hi, I love this blog, most of the time.
I didn’t like this post at all. I’m 5′3″ and I have a pretty good sense of humor about my height. Yet I don’t think anyone should have to “lighten up” about this post – if they found it offensive, there’s a reason for it, and they’re entitled to their displeasure.
I can understand that the writer may be a short person themselves, and writing a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it’s not working. If so much of the audience isn’t getting it, then the writing isn’t successful.
What bothered me was there were 7 paragraphs about why being short is NOT awesome and only one paragraph about why it is. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
November 29, 2009 at 4:53 am
Well put.
November 30, 2009 at 11:30 am
That’s exactly how I would have put it. Why do people get bashed for their opinions of this post? If you didn’t like it, you are entitled not to like it, and the comment board is there for all opinions on the post. I am a tall girl, but this still seemed to point out more negatives than positives about being short. And I read the really tall people post, but those “negatives” didn’t seem to be as bad as the ones pointed out for the really short people. Can’t win them all, but please respect all opinions on the matter!
November 29, 2009 at 10:01 am
I am 4 11. I married a 6′ guy. His family (esp. his sisters are always teasing me. One of them even made fun of me one time saying I wore high heels because I was a “tall wannabe”. Let me tell you guys, if you are the only ones laughing at your jokes, perhaps you are being offensive.
I am not talking about this blog in particular. The topic just stroke a nerve, as I was reading a facebook posting from one of my sisters-in-law about one of my pictures. She was asking when I was finally going a grow up. Funny, huh?
November 29, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I’m 4′10″ and considered a legal midget. I can get a handicap sticker for my car and I can get scholarships all based on my height. I LOVE being short. :] Sure it has it’s down sides, when I go to a restaurant I still get asked if I want a kids menu, but hey, the food is better on those menu’s anyway.
November 29, 2009 at 6:16 pm
I’m not really, really short, but yes, I’m short and have a quite small frame, (well I’m Asian). But I just love the way I am.
Good things come in a small packages. :)
November 29, 2009 at 7:24 pm
32 and 4′6” and I totally rock, so all you whiners out there can bite me. This was freakin hilarious. And yes, I wear kids clothes. And my husband is 5′10”. And my 12-year-old dwarfs me. And I climb grocery store shelves. But I’m not uneducated, nor do I make less than anyone else at my job because I telecommute and my boss can’t see that I’m half the size, so she can’t come to the conclusion that I only need half the money. My feet can’t reach the pedals on the cars at the Nascar Speedpark in Myrtle Beach, though, so that kinda blows. Oh, and I’m not a midget…..I’m just that cool.
November 29, 2009 at 10:32 pm
I’m not incredibly short anymore, but I used to be. Until I got to high school I was always the smallest, or one of the smallest, in my class. As such I’ve always liked being friends with short people. Solidarity and what have you.
November 29, 2009 at 11:32 pm
I think that the New York Times article was used out of context, and that’s probably my only real issue. In reading that article, its main point was trying to show how fighting a war against obesity is like fighting a war against height, and how ridiculous that would be because it isn’t an objective stance for health.
It compares obesity and height, which, according to our current standards of health go hand in hand. (Body Mass Index.) Which is where all the statistics come in about short people…but that doesn’t mean that a tall person who smokes a pack a day and doesn’t exercise will outlive a short person who is overweight and exercises on the BMI scale. Tests have been shown that shorter people who are over the BMI scale for their age group are actually healthier than some people who fall in the right range.
I don’t think this article was meant to be malicious so much as fill the gap for a “short” article after the “tall” article. So shorties can be represented. This didn’t offend when I read it, but I was just confused about the choice of article.
November 30, 2009 at 3:53 pm
I wasn’t so much offended by this post as I was disappointed that it leaned so heavily toward the negative. This site is about things that are awesome, so why not spend most of this entry talking about the awesomeness of being short? PrarieGal listed several things, and I’ve got a few more:
• Our feet don’t hang off the end of the mattress.
• We rarely have to duck under branches overhanging the sidewalk.
• We have lots of leg room in the front seat of a car. And if you’re a tall person sitting in front of us, feel free to slide that seat all the way back, because we’re fine.
• We can sit Indian style in the movie theater.
• Sleeves are always long enough.
Oh, and I’m 5′0″ and my boyfriend is 6′6″. Other than the neck pain from prolonged kissing while standing up, it works out pretty well. Much better than one would expect. ;) I’m so glad we didn’t disregard each other because of the height difference because he’s the best thing that ever happened to me. :)
January 18, 2010 at 3:13 pm
agreed about the sitting cross-legged in a movie theater :-P
November 30, 2009 at 3:54 pm
AMEN!! I hear ya on this one. I read on a shirt that, “I am not short, I am fun sized.” I want this shirt so bad. I happened to marry a very tall man, so he gets all the high things down for me.
When he isn’t around, I have to climb. The other day at the store I needed a something from the very back of the top shelf….no tall people were around and all the employees were too busy to help. I first started by trying to lift my 4 year old up to see if she could reach it….she couldn’t. So there was nothing left to do, but to climb the shelves.
So…this post means that I am awesome…..I can deal with that. :-)
November 30, 2009 at 4:30 pm
what? I’m short, gonna die early! bah! total suckage
and whats wrong with daties shorties? nothing
November 30, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Sorry. Really, really short people are called midgets. Just like really wide people are fat.
December 1, 2009 at 7:14 am
I don’t think shorter people die earlier. It’s just that different people are more prone to different issues. Tall people have their own sets of worries.
And it doesn’t matter if you are tall or short.
It only matters when you think it’s bad to be tall or short. Everyone is cool. XD
December 1, 2009 at 4:21 pm
5′ 1″ represent…
December 1, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I’m 5ft 3′ and I wasn’t offended by this post. People can say some very stupid things, but I believe it says an awful lot more about them than it does about you. I say this with particular regard to Lydia and her ‘in-laws.’ So if you can, smile sweetly and let them continue to bury themselves. Someone once said to me, “Ah, you’re only small, aren’t you?” I replied, “Yes, but my life is BIG.”
December 3, 2009 at 10:37 pm
As someone who is not quite five feet tall, I’m glad that someone finds my short height to be awesome! Touched…really
December 4, 2009 at 6:38 am
I’m 5′5 and a guy (and single). Height is something I factor in when thinking of girls, and it really depends on my mood how I feel about it. You can’t change your height though, so why bother worrying.
This article was the only one I read comments for and probably the only one I ever will. Very entertaining, the back and forth!
Love the blog! This article didn’t phase me.
December 4, 2009 at 1:02 pm
I am 5′ and don’t think I would have a problem getting dates if I were not with my husband (was boyfriend) of 10 years. I get compliments about my hotness all the time. Being short is great, no empathy required for me.
December 4, 2009 at 4:56 pm
K, so you write great. But not all of this is true about short people… My mom is 4′10. I’m 4′9, supposed to be 5′1 because i’m not done growing. But does it really make you feel bigger when you insult us like that? Shorter life span, uneducated, get paid less, hard to date… wow. thanks. If you wanted to make me feel like shit, well, mission accomplished.
December 6, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I think more than anything, this post has pointed out the intrinsic self confidence issues that many short people live with every day. Simply by contrasting this with the tall people post, it’s clear that the offense taken is more related to a personal need to defend insecurities rather than pointing out that this post is any different than the tall people one. Tall people are just generally more comfortable and secure in their own self, and if you’re curious as to my source of this information, it’s Neil’s blog.
I’m shorter than average. It’s not inherently awesome, but I make it awesome by laughing at things. Like this.
December 8, 2009 at 9:50 pm
My best friend isn’t “really really” short, but she is shorter than the lot of our friends. I know that sometimes it’s hard for her because people make comments about her height regularly. Being picked on or singled out is never a good feeling.
However, she is one of the greatest people I’ve ever met. Her heart and soul tower over the tallest peak in the world. I would hope she never wishes to be any different than the way she is now and I hope no one who is a little bit different wishes to change. You’re uniquely beautiful. Embrace it.
December 11, 2009 at 1:51 am
For what it’s worth, I’m a 5′7″ woman with a 5′ tall fiance. Short don’t mean nothing when it comes to lurve ;)
December 12, 2009 at 6:47 pm
ok seriously alot of you people are very rude. there is nothing wrong with this post. and nothing wrong with being short. i am not offended by this post and i am 16 and 4′10. this is actually the first one i seen on this site and i laughed at it. so please stop being rude its annoying and thats not what replying on here is for.
December 13, 2009 at 2:31 am
short girls are sexy
December 13, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I am not short. I’m tall.
I think the world is built for short people.
Take cars, for example. If you’re short, all you need to do is put the seat higher and further to the front. Pretty easy to do. If you’re tall, there are some cars you simply can’t fit in because they’re built so fracking tiny.
Same thing with the kitchen. When I wash dishes I have to bend over at almost a ninety degree angle to be able to reach down into the sink. How much easier is it for short people to simply stand up on a stool and work while comfortably standing.
What about seats in theatres? There’s hardly ever enough leg room. Worse in lecture theatres at universities, for they’re also so hard that you get very sore from pressing your knees against the next row of seats, for lack of anywhere else to put them.
What I’m saying: If you’re short and there’s more space than needed, you still fit. If you’re tall and there isn’t enough space, there’s nothing you can do.
December 14, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Hm, this isn’t awesome at all. Thi sjust reminds me of how much my life sucks becaues I am under the eaverage height. :-/ I came here for a little pick me up, not to be disheartened.
January 18, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Bah! Humbug! I hope this doesn’t come across as patronizing (I write this as a 5′4″ male), but does who You are, and how You see life, and what You do with your life really depend that heavily on what is “average” or “normal”? Why have a self-definition so tied up in what others seem to be? You are what you choose to be (says Hogarth in The Iron Giant).
You cannot change others, and there are aspects of yourself you cannot change, no matter how much you might wish to, so why not focus on what you Can change? You, and Only you, can change how you See your circumstances and use Anything to move forward towards who you choose to be, rather than get caught up worrying about what others are like, or what others might think about you.
Short people can garden, bake bread, sing, dance, laugh, have great conversations, run, admire great art, play piano and pretty much anything they want to! Why focus on what you believe you cannot do?
But those are just my rambling thoughts. :)
Hopefully that will help give you the “little pick me up” you wanted?
December 16, 2009 at 6:15 am
This post wasn’t so much offensive as just not awesome :/
December 28, 2009 at 11:45 am
The great Hulking American Neanderthal, no bigger bones than his have been found in all antiquity, is spawn of over two hundred years of force feeding for the express purpose of exploiting the easy resources of North America. Those resources are gone. He now faces extinction on the soup kitchens and “unemployables” lines in the U.S.A., his huge body no longer sustainable in the modern age. The American Medical Cartel force certain death upon him, his unemployability in the very nation he built with his strong back, his ticket to refusal of humane medical treatment and an automatic death sentence, proclaimed by the actuaries of the cartel in the name of ROI the new American God! Smaller lower calorie folk, quicker in mind and able to survive the oncoming shortages, hyper-inflation, in America will remain survivors of the end of the “Cheap Oil Era”, more adaptable to light veggies and rice diets like the Asian Hordes who impose restraints on the American share of the world’s finite resources with their powerful Yuan, over and ever-weakening dollar! Soon the small folk, vegan in nature will rule and the larger Hulking folk a slow-witted, fast-headed, less mobile sort will all have gone to fight the oil wars to die for drying wells while we smaller, faster, smarter, folk learn at home to live well on much less and join with the Asians in a new world Solar Wind, Wave, Tidal, Geothermal and Thorium bed reactor clean nuclear powers spheres, sustainability our new God, displacing ROI and corporatism, with socialist, communal, mutually beneficial, efforts replacing the dog-eat dog, bigger dog gets the bone paradigm of America today! Jesus the greatest socialist philosopher of all time deems this so! The next great rising in America will be a Christian, social democratic one that does away with the Capitalist, Corporatist destructor and cancer to true democracy! The sick mess that holds back America today and breeds giant marauders, Foot ball “Star” – one winner takes all – paradigm, will give way to the gentle, smaller, giving, sharing, folk and a communal interests and behaviors paradigm as outlined so clearly in the new testaments, and a sustainability desire so strong as to restore America to her former natural bounties. God bless the little folk they are our saviors, and help us to maintain the giants among us till they breed out and saner sizes of humans prevail as in Asia and the rest of the world, to man the modern age.
January 4, 2010 at 11:26 am
Fantastic site. Is there a donation button somewhere? Want to be sure you keep blogging.
January 13, 2010 at 7:06 am
Where did you get that photo? Is it Daniel Bushell (on the left)? Certainly looks like him ;)
January 14, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Hi Neil :)
I discovered this site via the lovely Sarah Wilson’s blog (www.sarahwilson.com.au) and I love it.
I have to say, however, that, for me, this particular post tarnishes your wonderful list.
I am a really, really short person. Let me start with this: I don’t feel disadvantaged at all. Or, at least, any disadvantages of being short are balanced out by the advantages. I barely even think about it, to be honest. (In fact, the other day my partner pointed out that I was short for some reason or another and I said “oh, I forgot I was short”. I really did). Sometimes I’m treated differently for being my height (always being considered “cute”, for example), but I don’t mind because cute is a compliment – although it would be very different if I were a man.
So it is not that you have made me feel bad for being short. I embraced it long ago. The issue is that this site – which I absolutely love for its positive, uplifting message – should be promoting tolerance and acceptance of people’s differences. Not to actually ENCOURAGE people to categorise certain people as “different”, behave towards them a certain way, purely because of their size, and feel sorry for them; as well as POINT OUT why this particular attribute makes them so deprived and unusual (or, in your words, “crazy”).
You may say that you were just trying to make people empathise with short people, and understand their plight. Well, I ask you this: imagine you had a huge nose. I’m talking about the biggest nose in every class you have ever been in, your whole life. You have been well aware of this since before you could remember and always hoped that you would grow into it, but you never did. You know fully well that the first thing everybody you come across notices about you is your big nose, but you try your hardest not to think about it, and to compensate with sparkling wit and good deeds. Now, what would you prefer: if people felt sorry for you? Makeup artists took it upon themselves to show you how to slim down your nose? People on the street looked at you pityingly? Your boyfriend gazing at your face and insisting that you had “pretty eyes”? OR would you prefer people to just accept and ignore it? To never mention it, try to over-compensate for it or throw sympathetic glances your way? To the point where you (and them – because we all know that the longer we know someone, the less we notice their quirks that seemed so obvious the first time we met them) completely FORGET about it? Until the next rude person (or inconsiderate article) comes along, of course.
If you were just an ignorant idiot then I wouldn’t care about this post at all. I have received countless stupid comments about my height. But because I really respect you and your message, it really disheartened me. I know that you did not mean to hurt anybody’s feelings, and that you were most likely just trying to make a joke, not make a responsible public service announcement. However, I would really appreciate it if you would please change this post to something more respectful and kind. (NB: I found the point about short people dying young particularly boorish, although I do acknowledge that you discredited the authors by calling them “eggheads”).
This list will go down in history, and I think that you should ensure that every single one of your one thousand “good” things is positive and fun, for everybody involved.
January 21, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Great!!!