I am now a respectable height of 5 feet 4 inches, but I didn’t reach that until my junior year of high school. Up until then, I had always been the shortest person in my class. That had some advantages. Because I was so short, I was always put in the front of the classroom and it took me a long time to discover I needed glasses. When we lined up by height, I always got to go first.
However, my height(or lack thereof) was a definite disadvantage in some playground activities. I always lost, for instance, at tether ball as the taller girls hit the ball around and around the pole over my head. On the school girls volleyball team, which had all the girls on it, I was so short that when I rotated to the front line the coach always pulled me out. I could serve the ball, but my spike capability was nonexistent. He did give me a letter, however, for my tenacity if not my skill.
At our yearly Field Day, my long jumps were always short jumps. My high jumps were low jumps. But in activities that didn’t depend on stature, I did fine. I could carry an egg in a spoon across the field with the best of them. And once I partnered with a very tall girl in the three legged race. She virtually picked me up as she raced across the field, winning us a red ribbon!
Saved By Words 
Oh my gosh, Field Day! I remember looking forward to it every year. And those red ribbons! And there were some games we excitedly played that I don’t think they even allow anymore…can you bob for apples or play tug-of-war today? There probably was an awful lot of germ sharing going on in that laundry tub for the first one, and the loosing team could end up dragged several feet with a few skinned knees and elbows a distinct possibility in the second. 🙂
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I loved tug of war though no one ever saw me as an asset on their team!
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I’m only 5’2″ the eldest of four children, who are all above 5’10″…not sure how that worked lol! 😀
Jennifer
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I am the eldest of four also. I am the shortest by far.
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We have that in common! I am even shorter than my parents as well!
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I was shorter than my parents and half of my grandparents.
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Hahahahahaha! Thoroughly enjoyed this one! My mum is also 5″4, though not respectably so. More like 5″3 and some change.
I never experienced any of these things, as I’m 5″9 and have always been one of if not the tallest girl in the class, and taller than the boys, too.
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Fortunately my girl is 5’11” and can reach things down for me.
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Oh wow! How tall is dad? My dad is 5″11. I’m not sure I could handle being taller than 5″9. 😂
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He is 6’5″
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I am exactly the same height as you, Elizabeth. I got to that height fairly early though and just stopped growing.
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I entered high school at 4’10” And not mature at all.
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