Calling all short people!

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I've been really struggling with my height lately. I am a 4'9 paraprofessional at an elementary school in my state. It's really hard on me to do my job mentally, when part of it involves controlling 3rd and 4th graders who tower over me. Add that to the fact that autism makes me look young and it's depressing and sometimes humiliating. My friends and my counselor try to make me feel better by giving me examples of successful, short people, but they always seem to be taller than me. In one example, the "short" police officer was only 5'6. In another, the basketball player was only 5'1. I know they're trying to help me feel better about myself and I appreciate it, but are there any people my size out there who have successful careers and get respected by people in the world?

This is only a partial list. Mostly actresses and musicians, some athletes, some producers and writers.

Reese Witherspoon’s height: 5′ 1″

Eva Longoria’s height: 5′ 1″

Ariana Grande’s height: 5′ 1″

Erykah Badu’s height: 5′ 0″

Simone Biles’s height: 4′ 8″

Dolly Parton’s height: 5′ 0″

Kristin Chenoweth’s height: 4′ 11″

Christina Ricci’s height: 5′ 1″

Paula Abdul’s height: 5′ 0″

Hayden Panettiere’s height: 5′ 0″

Jada Pinkett Smith’s height: 4′ 11″

Sabrina Carpenter’s height: 4′ 11″

Bindi Irwin’s height: 4′ 11″

Jenna Ortega’s height: 5′ 1″

Stevie Nicks’s height: 5′ 1″

Linda Hunt's height: 4' 9"

Janette Tough's height: 4' 5"

Mimie Mathy's height: 4' 4"

Meredith Eaton's height: 4' 3"

Zelda Rubenstein's height: 4' 3"

Debbie Lee Carrington's height: 3' 10"

Josephine Bibit Berry (born February 9, 1994), known as Jo Berry, is a talented Filipino actress with dwarfism.  I can't seem to find exactly how tall she is, but here is a picture:

After almost 67 years I can attest that being short is a disadvantage. No doubt about it. Nothing we can do about it but deal with it. Obsessing over it is the natural thing to do, but much more harmful, then helpful.

From a family of significantly tall men, - in the six and seven feet range - it puzzled my son that he was much shorter. He was the first person in the family - in his late 30s - to be diagnosed with celiac disease. He is the shortest male. I was diagnosed with celiac soon after. I was shorter than all but one of my female cousins, at 5' 6". Then, late in life comparatively, I discovered I was autistic. Most of my paternal relatives are, tall or not.

Celiac disease can delay growth; also numerous studies suggest it is more common in autistic people.

The tallest of my family is a grandson who was born tall and is above 7 feet; he was the most affected by autistic traits as a child. So I think that celiac is the more probable explanation for the relative shortness of my son and me...

It's an interesting topic and thank you for raising it.

I'm 5'0" and working with preschoolers in an elementary school. Some people have tried to joke that I deliberately chose to work with the youngest kids because I would feel taller. No...I prefer working with younger children because I think the older ones can be total brats! I love watching how the youngest kids--toddlers, twos, and up--explore the world and begin to express themselves (even if it's not verbally); it's such an exciting time! They can be little mysteries, and I love finding ways to reach them when they need a hand.

I think I'm lucky that my parents raised me to be comfortable with my height. I figure that anyone's body, big, small, whatever, can be a blessing or a curse, but bottom line: it's the way I was born and there's absolutely nothing anyone can do about it, so f**k anyone else who thinks it should matter that I'm not what they think I should be!

You might as well go b***h at the ground for being beneath your feet, or the sun for being hot.

Let's not forget Davy Jones of The Monkees.

5 ft 2

^^I'm 5'2" also and one reason why I'm glad I'm short is that I'm close to the ground should I fall. A 6' 0" or taller person would more likely hurt themselves if they fall that great distance!

Wow, he's shorter than Angus Young by an inch.

I'm about 5ft 4

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Being short makes it hard to buy clothes. Sometimes from the children's section.

All things equal, height proportional to weight proportional to strength. That's a major disadvantage because plenty of jobs require heavy lifting

Look on the bright side. Food stamps pays the same amount regardless of the recipients weight, size, or metabolism. All things equal, short people have lower metabolism than tall people. Not all things are equal. For "x" number of bucks, I buy 2000 calories a day. Tall people need 3000 calories a day and they still get "x" bucks

Also being short makes it easier to fit into small spaces such as cars or whatever

Short of leg lengthening surgery (which takes a lot of time money and energy), there is nothing you can do about your height. Worrying about your height doesn't make you taller so whatever

High heels

I guess it depends on what height is affecting for you. I am sure it affected my attractiveness to the opposite sex, but I also fit into airplane seats and small cars better than others, and finding clothes that fit me isn't an issue. I am around 5 foot 7 inches or so.

Try teaching younger and shorter students