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I have a friend (Judy) who stands just under 5 feet tall. I imagine as a child, she was challenged by her lack of height. She probably wasn't tall enough to embark on certain carnival rides. Maybe she had to prove her age at various times in her life.
But let me tell you how tall she really stands. Obviously her size is all in the eyes of her beholders. As a young woman, she entered the education field, earning degree after major degree during her career.
She was right at home among the very young students she taught at Madison Elementary and developed teaching programs to provide for the particular needs of her students.
Then she moved on to become a principal at another school and eventually a college professor. Not bad for someone who had to constantly look up to her superiors. I think it didn't take long for many of them to realize they were looking up to her. Her wisdom and ability to educate stretched far beyond her diminutive size.
On the other side of the height charts, let me tell you about a young man (Daniel) who stands just under 7 feet tall. He, too, endured the usual teasing and sideway glances due to always being the tallest kid in his class or maybe even the school. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for him sometimes.
Being different from the rest of your peers can make you want to shrink from the crowd. However, not Daniel. He sang in his school chorus and excelled in his school work. He had and continues to have a core of genuine friends who see him for the positives in his life beyond his height.
And today he excels in his courses at West Virginia University with the promise of great things in his future. Through all of this he has kept a wonderful sense of humor and is fun to be around.
Both of these people have stood out for one thing or another in their lives, but neither of them let their size or lack of size define them. They have taught me and probably others that you have to make the best of the hand you are dealt. I feel blessed to know both of them and have learned much standing in their shadows.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net