I thought I was a lousy dancer, because, for the last five years, the dance instructor has put me in the last row for the jazz dance in the annual senior follies.
I would practice hard every day. I would make sure I was doing all of the steps properly. I made sure to take part in all of the practices. I did my best to impress the instructor.
Still, I was always put in the back row--no matter where I stood for practice. It was very demoralizing.
Finally, this year, I discovered I'm not necessarily a lousy dancer. I'm just tall, that's all.
Actually, height is a relative matter. I'm taller than the ladies in the front row, but not as tall as some in the back row. And there are some people who are taller than any of us.
In fact, there was a girl in my high school class who was five feet eleven inches tall. I asked her once if she liked being so tall. She said the only thing she didn't like about it was she wasn't tall enough to join the six-footer club.
On the other hand, my daughter has mourned the fact that she inherited her dad's genes. My first husband was shorter than I am and she is short too. He used to ask me to get things out of the top kitchen cupboard that he couldn't reach.
If they could dance, they would probably be put in the front row. Being shorter isn't all bad.
Being taller has its ups and downs. I may be harder to see when I'm dancing in the back row, but, if I make a misstep, I'm harder to see, too.
Height is all a matter of perspective (pun intended). It doesn't help to wish you were taller--or shorter. We can stand up tall, whatever we are and be proud of how God made us.
I'm just glad my last name doesn't begin with Z. Zs always come last in alphabetical order. If that was the case, I might never be seen again.
Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or make a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com
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