Kate's Point of View

The Product of Creative Frustration

On Hugging and Being Tall

I’ve been tall since … well, birth. In the third grade I was taller than my teacher. By fourth grade my shoe size was bigger than my mom’s. In the sixth grade there were only 3 students in my entire school taller than me. By eighth grade I had grown all but ½ inch of my full height: five foot 11 inches.

With the exception of when I go pants shopping or try on skirts intended for short people that don’t cover my tush, I don’t pay much attention to my height anymore. Back when I was cruising for boys I was obsessed with it. I would walk into a bar and immediately eyeball the top of the crowd to assess how many boys were my height or taller. This was my minimum requirement for dating. I developed a sick skill when I was younger of being able to accurately say the height of anyone. I was constantly disgusted by the number of boys who would tell me they were six foot and yet were distinctly shorter than me.

When I met Wonder Boy, who has me by an inch or two, I calmed down with my height obsession. Except in one area: Hugs. I’m not sure if short people realize how awkward it is to hug them. It’s not because I have to bend over, though I do. It’s because my chest is right in their face! And Wonder Boy’s family is full of tiny-statured huggers. I’ve tried to incorporate the fist bump or wave into farewells but it has yet to take over the hug.

This Friday is a Facebook-deemed “Hug a Tall Person Day.” (According the internet, the holiday falls on June 5th.)

On the one hand, I think it’s an awesome holiday. It celebrates height rather than making it a peculiarity. And my tall friends? I’d happy hug them and it will be all nice and normal. But tomorrow, should anyone actually celebrate a holiday based on the whim of some social media participant, I expect to put my bosoms in someone’s face. It’s just how it goes.

This post originally appeared on Kate’s Point of View. © Kate. All rights reserved.

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4 Comments

  1. I’d just like to explain that, although I fit in the “tiny-statured” category”, I’m not a hugger (at least not too much). But I do enjoy nuzzling your bosom:)

  2. @Mandy — totally agreed! I think you and Adam are the only one who I don’t feel bad about waving goodbye to.

    You really need to see it at my house sometime when we all just say bye to my parents and walk out the door but WB hugs them both. They’re used to it now but at first my dad was all confused.

  3. I’m laughing! I love the cartoon visual and the fact that you were taller than your teacher in third grade. Awesome. Can’t wait to read more.

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