Oh shit, I'm tall

     Recently, for the umpteenth time I was asked how tall I was. I had responded more than 6 feet. The woman sighed and said “ I wish I was that tall”. I blame my answer on how tired I was, I told her “ No, you don’t”. While the concept of reaching things most people can’t is a definite plus, there are the negatives that people don’t think about. The world does not fit you. I am not just talking about clothing. Having to find special stores or departments that may or may not have something that fits your not "off the rack" body shape is difficult enough. Most big and tall shops will work if you are tall or if you are big, not both. But who has to make sure cars and furniture fit you. Overall the world is more expensive to you as a whole simply because you take up more space in it. At amusement parks you see signs that say you must be this height to ride this ride but the sign does not have a line that say you must be below this height to fit in the seat without breaking your knees. Besides the physical issues of being tall there are the social issues. Tall children are expected to be more mature, responsible and behaved.  Back to the physical aspects as a child how fun is it to slide down a pole when you are less than a foot away from the bottom? Or be too tall to enjoy some of the newer play areas because you can't fold yourself into the enclosed places. I do not understand why people are comfortable enough to approach me and ask  a personal question about my height but would feel insulted if I ask about their weight. I am a tall black male. That is three for three on the law enforcement "fear for my safety" list. this can also mean that people make assumptions as to who I am. That I will react more with my fists that with my head. My grandfather was not a small man. He had taught me about the comfort of big men. That we had nothing to prove to anyone but ourselves. It was his take on “With great power comes great responsibility”. I have always taken that to heart. People have made the assumption that I am a danger to children just by sitting in the park watching my kids play. That may be more that I am black than tall so I am digressing. Now the question is How tall am I? 

I am:

6'6"

78 inches

2.1666 Yards

2 meters

19.5 Hands

~3.9 Cubits

What I learned since last entry: No matter how well you know someone, communication is very important to a relationship.

Best thing since last entry: I am learning to motivate myself and get things done but is still a slow process.

Worst thing since last entry: Realizing that as much as you want to help, there are things that you can't do and that can be frustrating.