Dare to ask: Only when you call us 'Little bit'

By PHILLIP MILANO, The Times-Union

Question

Do shorter people ever get upset about how short they are, or are they OK with it? Do they ever get frustrated with not being able to reach certain things, or from getting weird looks?

R. Baldwin, Mount Carmel, Tenn.

Replies

I have a close friend who is 4 feet 6 inches, and yes, she gets weird looks and gets a little irritated at the height of certain things (such as ATMs), but all in all she's fine with her height. Usually it's other people who seem to have a problem with it.

M.G., 34, female, Jacksonville

I used to be self-conscious about being short (I'm 5 feet 2 inches) but am just fine with it now. I don't care for people who comment on my stature or mention how difficult it must be. I am who I am.

A.C., 24, female, Iowa

Experts say

We were at the height of frustration because apparently short people had, no reason, short people had, no reason . . . to get back to us on this one.

It wasn't like we were asking them to get on a soapbox or anything. Just tell us what it's like to not have elevation. To exist in a non-alpine-like state. For altitudinous to not describe you. To be lank-less.

Finally, a football player and a mayor rose to the challenge.

First there's 5-foot-7-inch Maurice Jones-Drew, the running back who's plowed over, through and by more than a few linebackers in his two seasons as a Jacksonville Jaguar.

Does it bug him being shorter?

"My whole thing is, I'm a realist. I can't change my height," he said. "If I can't reach something, I'll get a ladder. Otherwise, I won't be trying to grab it."

His philosophy?

"My grandpa said once you look for the negative side, or let people give you excuses, then you're showing a sign of weakness."

His response to ribbing as a kid?

"You fight through things by showing a sign of strength. I'd say [about someone who teased him], 'I don't have to be as big as him.' Then you start to believe in it. To kids today I would say, one thing no one else can measure is your mind and your heart. And you can do anything with those two things."

Then there's 5-foot-6-inch Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, who responded by e-mail.

Does it bug him being shorter?

"I think if you're comfortable with yourself, other people are comfortable with you, too - so my lack of tallness hasn't been a problem for me anywhere but the basketball court!"

His philosophy?

"I view my height as a distinguishing characteristic rather than an impediment. It's also a great icebreaker. I [recently] had to introduce [former Jaguars tackle] Tony Boselli at a press conference. Standing next to this guy, who I believe is at least 10 feet tall, I made a comment about him being twice my size . . . everybody laughed, and we got the event off to a good start."

His response to ribbing as a kid?

"I took some teasing in my teenage years, but I chalk that up to character development - it's never a bad thing to develop a little humility."

Phillip Milano, author of I Can't Believe You Asked That! (Perigee), moderates cross-cultural dialogue at Y? The National Forum on People's Differences. Visit www.yforum.com to submit questions and answers. Send general column comments to phillip. milano@jacksonville.com. You can also hear his podcasts or watch his TV spots.