mrs-roboto's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They Might Be Giants Home again. Thank the powers that be and Delta. Well not too many thanks to Delta because they really suck. We were delayed for two hours in Cincinnati and all they offered us were free headphones for the crap ass movie Jawanna Mann II. I don't think Delta really "loves to fly" anymore. It's more like they are marginally interested in flying "and it shows." Sigh. I guess it's going to be one of those whiney entries. Here's an interesting fact about my family - we are not a big people. We are actually quite a petite people. I stand 5' 2" as does my mother and my grandmother. Now my baby sister is 5' 6" and sort of an anomaly. She sprouted up taller than me somewhere in her early teens. I was already in my twenties and done with growth spurts. My family loves to mention Robyn's height to me every time I am with them. I think they believe I have some problem with being small. I don't. In fact, I have found that being small has many advantages. For one thing, I look younger than I am simply because I have a childlike stature. Whenever I am carrying a bag, people offer to help me because the bag looks so large in comparison to me. And I can ride comfortably in compact sports cars and airline seats. I can shop in the juniors section. Vintage clothes are easier to find in small sizes. There are all kinds of health benefits to being smaller. I could go on and on but you get the point. I am pretty comfortable with who I am. With the exception of my aunt (who is also 5' 6"), Roboto women just don't get that tall. When you compare 5' 6" with say, the rest of the world it really isn't very large. In fact, it's quite average. But my family acts like my sister is a giant among men, remarking at least one time per hour about her height. My mother even started a collection of yearly photos with the sole purpose of demonstrating just how much height my sister gains on me annually. Same location every year (in front of the oven) and the same pose. The pictures seem to start around Robyn's tenth birthday and continue on till I decided this had to end about three years ago. Hell, I stopped growing a decade before. What's the point? Anyway, after the sixtieth conversation about how stately my sister is, I decided I was going to point out the obvious. My sister is far from an Amazon. "Robyn is so tall," says my mother. "Isn't she tall?" "No," I respond. "She's of completely average height. Do you people ever get out of the house? If you did, you'd know that there are people who are even taller than 5' 6". Robyn will not be getting into the Guinness Book of World Records on the basis of her lateral dimensions." I was met with complete silence which only caused me to go on and on. "You guys know my husband Pete? He is 6' 2"! Can you even imagine that? He has to be careful when he walks because every time he lifts his foot he risks crushing a village of small people underneath." Later in a restaurant after the waitress has told us the specials and asks if we have any questions, I chime in again. "Just one," I say. She smiles and nods in my direction. "How tall are you? Are you 5' 8" maybe 5' 9"? I'll bet you're that at least." "Um, yeah I guess I'm about 5' 9" or 10". Why?" "No reason," I say. "I'll need another minute to decide." After she leaves the table I turn to my parents and whisper "Can you believe the WNBA hasn't drafted her yet?" I spent the ride home in the car pointing out tall people on the street and asking my parents if wanted to stop and take a picture with them. "I have my digital. I can capture you next to one of these tremendous creatures but we need to approach them carefully so as not to startle them." It got old fast but I didn't shut up. I talked about a coworker of mine who measure 5' 9" and how I stand next to her to block out the blinding sun. I told them she sometimes has to duck to get through doorways. I named every tall person we knew in our lifetime as a family. I talked endlessly till I felt certain I would never have to discuss my sisters height again. Later that evening I called my friend Erin to make arrangement to meet up the following day. I began to tell her about my little rebellion but before I could get to far into the story she stopped me. "Holy cow," she said. "Robyn is 5' 6"? I can't believe it!" "Yes," I responded with a sigh. "She a freakin' giant." Erin measures a staggering 5'3". 1:33 p.m. - 2003-10-14 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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