Dare to Ask: "Hey, How's the weather up there?"

By Phillip Milano

The Florida Times-Union

Question:

As a short person, I've always wondered: What is it like to be tall?

C.P., 21, female, Montreal

Replies

I am 6 feet tall. If I go to a concert, I always have a good view. I can reach the top shelf at the supermarket, and when I was pregnant, I hardly showed. However, with dating, it used to be a problem. As a teenager, when I used to get asked to dance, the guy's face would fall when I stood up. Nevertheless, my fiance and the father to my child is only 5 feet 5. We get pointed at in the street, which I find funny.

Sarah, Ennis, Ireland

I'm 6 feet 3. My pant inseam needs to be 38 inches; that isn't easy to find. I also need a sleeve length of 37 inches. So clothes are always a challenge. Finding a comfortable car isn't easy. But I like being able to see (and be seen) over a crowd. I can pack on a little extra weight, and it isn't so noticeable since I'm vertically enhanced!

Mark, 38, Dallas

For men, being taller has many advantages, whereas the opposite would apply for women.

Christopher, 23, Arlington, Texas

Christopher: why would it not be an advantage for women to be taller? I am tall and really enjoy it. I don't feel vulnerable or intimidated by men, and I have no trouble getting partners. OK, so small women have a wider choice of partners (if you like men taller than you), but there's enough to go 'round, you know.

Beth, 24, United Kingdom

Expert says

We can't list all the ups and downs (that'd be a tall order), but here are some from 6-foot-3 Arianne Cohen, author of "The Tall Book."

Ups: Tall people get noticed in the workplace, earn more (about $789 per inch per year), can eat 3 billion or so more calories per lifetime (about 100,000 servings of ice cream), live longer on average, are a tad smarter (factors that lead to taller, healthier bodies also make for healthier brains) and, if men, enjoy a dating boon because women tend to be attracted to height.

Downs: Tall people get noticed in the workplace, live in an alienating world that doesn't fit them (think city buses and public toilets), have a hard time finding clothes that work (the only major women's retailer is Long Tall Sally) and have lower birth rates (tall females usually want to "date up" and have trouble finding a taller mate). They also see a lot of dirt and grime because few people clean above about 6 feet or so.

Oh, and though it's not related to height, tall men can feel under-endowed.

"If you're average in that department, but it's on a 6-foot-8 frame, it may not look all that impressive," Cohen said.

Sex can also be great -- or challenging.

"[Relationship expert] Betty Dodson noted that the Kama Sutra was created by small Yogi people. There are a lot of positions in there no one should be doing, let alone tall people. There's certain positions that work well if you're tall, and certain ones you can't do."

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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.