More than that, there are those who would make their kids deaf if they were the given the choice like how some people want kids with blue eyes or curly red hair.
Politeness question for little people
- Thread starter Nerys Ghemor
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More than that, there are those who would make their kids deaf if they were the given the choice like how some people want kids with blue eyes or curly red hair.
Are those people in treatment?
I'm just "short," cause I'm too tall to belong to "Little People of America," I think. But, yeah, backing up while talking to me is nice--but I've gotten used to tilting my neck a lot--Hubby is a full foot taller.
I was 5' 1/2" but grew in my 40s to 5' 1"--the loss of a shitty job allowed me to stand taller. Most people are surprised to find out I'm so short--they think I'm 5' 4" or so. I'm not sure if they can't imagine a person so short, aren't familiar with measurement in general, or I take up that much verbal space.
I was 5' 1/2" but grew in my 40s to 5' 1"--the loss of a shitty job allowed me to stand taller. Most people are surprised to find out I'm so short--they think I'm 5' 4" or so. I'm not sure if they can't imagine a person so short, aren't familiar with measurement in general, or I take up that much verbal space.
^Is 5'1" really that short? I'm 5'2", my mom's 4'11". I see tons of people short as or shorter than me all the time, including men. Maybe it has to do with where we live?
Yeah, 5'1" is pretty short. I'd say average women around here are in the 5'6"-5'8" range.
The average height in America overall is around 5'4".
I'm sure it has something to do with diet and lifestyle. People in cities generally seem to be smaller than people from rural areas.
The average height in America overall is around 5'4".
I'm sure it has something to do with diet and lifestyle. People in cities generally seem to be smaller than people from rural areas.
I dunno, a quick glance at the chart on wiki shows average height for women around the world being between 4'11" and 5'8", with most seeming to fall between 5' and 5'5". I don't think 5'1" is all that short. At 5'2" I've never felt particularly short. On the small side, but not significantly smaller than average.
This thread may have the negative affect of actually working against the OP, but try not to let your concern for not offending actually get you too nervous or tounge tied.
I remember many years ago, when I wrote for a newspaper, I was researching an article regarding an event for people with various physical dissabilities. I was so concerned about not offending people or saying the wrong thing that I was stepping all over my words. Of course, the people I was speaking with were smart enough to recognize my awkwardness, so they took great delight in using words like "gimp" and "cripple." And usually very loudly. I got the point and simply relaxed. I was politely corrected when I needed to be. I gave a simple apology when I needed to. No big deal. Nobody was offended. All ended happy.
I remember many years ago, when I wrote for a newspaper, I was researching an article regarding an event for people with various physical dissabilities. I was so concerned about not offending people or saying the wrong thing that I was stepping all over my words. Of course, the people I was speaking with were smart enough to recognize my awkwardness, so they took great delight in using words like "gimp" and "cripple." And usually very loudly. I got the point and simply relaxed. I was politely corrected when I needed to be. I gave a simple apology when I needed to. No big deal. Nobody was offended. All ended happy.
Well, I only know what I've seen. I had a friend in high school who was 5'1", and she is far and away one of the shortest people I have ever been associated with.
I currently have a woman in my office who is 5'4", and she is significantly shorter than everybody else. She wears 3 inch heals and is still the shortest person in the building!
It's possibly a regional thing, but on average, I think most women I encounter are around 5'8".
Metric system for the win.
I'm what could technically be called a 'little person' which means people with certain conditions or types of dwarfism that makes them 4'10" or under. I'm about 4'7" (and a half, technically, but who's counting). I was ALWAYS, ALWAYS the smallest person in my class in school, always the shortest person in my work place. My parents are 5'2 and 5'4", my aunt 5'0". I come from a short family even without my condition. I don't really consider myself a little person mostly because I would be taller than a majority and I don't really have a 'dwarfism' and LPA seems to cater more to them.
Personally...I prefer the don't bring it up unless I bring it up first method. Generally it only comes up if I need help getting something down from a high shelf or ask where there's a step stool so I can reach something myself. I know I'm short, I don't need it pointed it out or joked about. What exactly am I supposed to say in response to "Hey, you know you're short?" anyway? It's just kinda rude.
Personally I also hate when people make up nicknames like short stuff or little bit or treat me like a place to rest their arm. That's part of the reason I hated my first job so much, my coworkers had no respect or tact. I don't go around making fun of how TALL people always seem or complain that almost everything's up too high. Then again I've always been told I'm "too serious" about things, but I don't find making fun of something someone doesn't have control over very funny.
Just treat your coworkers like you would anybody else and help if asked, or help provide a solution where they can help themselves. It's awkward enough living in a world that's too big, too high (so many times I've either been ignored or nearly elbowed in the face because I'm short) without it being thrown in my face.
On the other hand if your coworkers have an obvious sense of humor about these things and DOES joke about being short then maybe it'd be OK to broach the subject, but do so carefully.
Personally...I prefer the don't bring it up unless I bring it up first method. Generally it only comes up if I need help getting something down from a high shelf or ask where there's a step stool so I can reach something myself. I know I'm short, I don't need it pointed it out or joked about. What exactly am I supposed to say in response to "Hey, you know you're short?" anyway? It's just kinda rude.
Personally I also hate when people make up nicknames like short stuff or little bit or treat me like a place to rest their arm. That's part of the reason I hated my first job so much, my coworkers had no respect or tact. I don't go around making fun of how TALL people always seem or complain that almost everything's up too high. Then again I've always been told I'm "too serious" about things, but I don't find making fun of something someone doesn't have control over very funny.
Just treat your coworkers like you would anybody else and help if asked, or help provide a solution where they can help themselves. It's awkward enough living in a world that's too big, too high (so many times I've either been ignored or nearly elbowed in the face because I'm short) without it being thrown in my face.
On the other hand if your coworkers have an obvious sense of humor about these things and DOES joke about being short then maybe it'd be OK to broach the subject, but do so carefully.
There were only a handful of girls shorter than me way back in high school--one had a physical impairment of some sort (her twin sister was rather tall), and the other three were Hispanic.
Living in Fresno, where there are many Hmong (from Asia) and Hispanics, there a lot of women I, amazingly, practically tower over.
Worst is finding clothes. I'm short but size 18. Pants are usually inches too long, even "short" sizes. And the golf clubs Hubby bought me? We should've bought "youth" and not "women's"--2 inches too long!
Living in Fresno, where there are many Hmong (from Asia) and Hispanics, there a lot of women I, amazingly, practically tower over.
Worst is finding clothes. I'm short but size 18. Pants are usually inches too long, even "short" sizes. And the golf clubs Hubby bought me? We should've bought "youth" and not "women's"--2 inches too long!
^I do share the clothes difficulties. I'm 5'2" which puts me too short for regulars and too tall for petites when it comes to pants, and depending on whether I'm shopping in regulars or petites I can be anywhere form a size 2 to an 8. But that's what tailors are for!
I see lots of people shorter than you every day. But then, my neighborhood is about 50 percent Mexican!
“Cultural genocide”? Give. Me. A. Fucking. Break. Another example of Political Correctness carried to its absurd extreme.
Psychiatric treatment, one would assume. What sort of monster would wish that on a child? Would they want their child to be born blind, or without arms or legs?
I do have one friend who is your height, and she does a lot of her shopping in the kid's section.
Can't shop in the kid's section. I may be short(ish), but I'm shaped like a woman. Besides, tailors, tailors, tailors!
I'm guessing it must be a midwesty thing -- people there must be generally taller. Like scotpens said, if you're surrounded by native-descended Mexicans or South Americans 5'2" is average to tall. I dated an Ecuadorian guy for awhile who was average height for a man in his hometown at about 5'5". In NYC, 5'2" isn't that short.
Probably. We are a culture of corn-fed farm boys (and girls).
You crazy city folk probably stunted your growth when you drank your first espresso at age 2.
Some of you don't seem to understand about the Deaf. There is an unique culture that has been created by people who are profoundly deaf and choose to identify with others who are similarly deaf. In their minds, there is NOTHING wrong with them at all... us hearing people are the ones with the disability. Worse, in some instances, they go so far as to shun people who are hard of hearing because they're not truly Deaf, or they use hearing aids.
No, the Deaf are not in treatment, they are not considered psychotic, and yes, they, by and large, would prefer to give birth to deaf children rather than hearing.
If hearing impairments were treatable or able to be eradicated, an unique culture would disappear, and the Deaf are militantly opposed to that happening.
As far as terms go, deaf is generally a blanket for someone who cannot hear at all; Deaf is for people who have serious hearing loss/deafness and are part of Deaf Culture; hard of hearing is basically everyone who has hearing loss, doesn't identify with Deaf Culture, and whose hearing loss isn't caused by age. Hearing impaired are old farts who lost their hearing due to age, military service, blasting music from Victrolas, etc., and don't give a damn about being PC.
But you really must understand, Deaf Culture is unique and viable, and the Deaf will defend it until their last breath.
No, the Deaf are not in treatment, they are not considered psychotic, and yes, they, by and large, would prefer to give birth to deaf children rather than hearing.
If hearing impairments were treatable or able to be eradicated, an unique culture would disappear, and the Deaf are militantly opposed to that happening.
As far as terms go, deaf is generally a blanket for someone who cannot hear at all; Deaf is for people who have serious hearing loss/deafness and are part of Deaf Culture; hard of hearing is basically everyone who has hearing loss, doesn't identify with Deaf Culture, and whose hearing loss isn't caused by age. Hearing impaired are old farts who lost their hearing due to age, military service, blasting music from Victrolas, etc., and don't give a damn about being PC.
But you really must understand, Deaf Culture is unique and viable, and the Deaf will defend it until their last breath.
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