The Big Sho(r)t

Being vertically challenged, I have often been subject to ridicule, right from my nursery days, when I was saddled with not-so-flattering nick names (kids can be cruel) or sent to a lower class even though I had already graduated, to even now, when I am often overlooked for responsible positions, because
a) people don’t notice me or
b) people who do notice me don’t take me seriously

However, today, instead of cribbing about how I always get the short(changed) because I am short, let me list out some of the benefits of being so:

In the looks department, I can easily pass off for a teenager/college going student, and I am often met with shocked (and suspicious) glances, when I tell people that I am working or I manage a team…

While traveling by flight or in movie theatres, I never have to complain about the lack of leg space, which allows me to either sleep comfortably as soon as I board a flight or curl up in my seat in a late night (boring) movie (most of which would have Shahrukh Khan/Akshay Kumar/Sandra Bullock)…

If I am ever stuck in a burning apartment (god forbid) or need to be rescued from kidnappers/robbers, I would always win the favour ahead of the bigger girls and let’s face it, there are only so many knights in the shining armour…

It’s very convenient to dodge people I am deliberately trying to avoid (like dancing aunties at weddings or Math/Finance teachers)…

And, finally, and I can’t stress this enough, in a country like India, where it’s so difficult to find eligible bachelors, being short opens up the field, because, let’s face it, I don’t have to worry about being with a guy with whom I have to wear only flat shoes (and I can nurture sweet dreams of marrying Rahul Bose)…

So, while a part of me aspires for the lanky gracefulness of Maria Sharapova, I take pride in belonging to the group of elite short men who made it big…