BY CHRISTINA PERLEBERG
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Christina Perleberg

All my life I thought that I was a normal height, and everyone else was still growing or just short. That is not the case.

I am 6 feet tall, and everyone knows that women are generally not that height. According to the CDC, the average American woman is 63.8 inches or 5 feet 3.8 inches tall.

With that said, I know what you’re thinking, “Christina, please. You are so lucky to be so tall.” I am here to tell you that you’re wrong, and being a tall woman is not all that it’s cracked up to be.

In the grand scheme of things, height is a small thing to worry about. However, in my daily life, I am faced with a lot of inconveniences that shorter women do not have to deal with.

I struggle so often to find clothes that fit. Not only do I always have to find the “long” or “tall” size for my jeans, I have to make sure that they don’t shrink when I wash them. I can never find sweatshirts or coats with sleeves long enough, so I end up buying an extra large when I should have bought a medium.

When I take showers, especially at hotels, but even in my own apartment, I have to lean down to wash my hair, otherwise, the water only reaches my neck.

My feet hang off the end of my bed when I sleep. I get asked by little old ladies at the grocery store to grab the last diet ginger ale off the top shelf more often than I care to admit.

But being so tall does have a few advantages. I can see above crowds, which is beneficial for concerts or if I need to find someone in a busy place. I walk fast because I have such long legs. It’s nice to get across campus quickly.

I can grab things from my seat without getting up, which is extremely convenient once I’ve gotten comfortable and realize I‘ve forgotten to turn the hallway light off.

In the end, there is absolutely nothing I can or would do to change my height, but to every person who has asked me how tall I am, please never ask tall people that.

It gets old after the first time someone asks. The tall folks in your life will appreciate you a lot more if you would quit gawking and lend us a hand by grabbing the last tube of Pringles off the bottom shelf for us. Please?