The Fate of Being Small in This Big World

Having a smaller figure compared to an average 21-year-old, I came across both advantages and disadvantages in life. Here are some examples of the cases and outcomes, when....

....I met & was introduced to a German during my internship last year : I was thought to be a 15-year-old.

....my Transjakarta bus was full of passengers, but I went in anyway : The bus attendant didn't mind & I fit in just fine.

....the bus was so full of passengers & I wanted to get off at the next stop : I had to squeeze my way through to the door so that the bus attendant would notice me & keep the door open.

....a friend noticed a spring horse toy in a playground & I was with him/her : I was told that the horse would suit me, so I should get on.

....I met a neighbor on my walk back home after finishing the day's work for my Bachelor's thesis: He/she asked whether I was on my way home from SCHOOL (implying to junior/senior high school).

....I was attending a wedding reception organized by my parents' friend & my younger brother, who's now taller than me, was coincidentally standing beside me : at least 1 acquaintance of ours would mistake him as my boyfriend.

All of it must have happened for a reason, that humans tend to judge a book by its cover. Fortunately, there are still some positive sides to being a small person. If there wasn't any, then life might have been difficult for someone like me.

In the past, I used to hate it so much when people pointed out negative things about my size. Some questions I'd like to ask them: "Have you ever thought of how you'd feel if you were the one in my position?" "Would you like it when people were so blind of your other aspects except height?"

However, I'm grateful that I slowly learned to acknowledge my fate & ignore useless comments that weren't to my liking. After all, it's entirely up to me whether or not to keep the comments in mind. I live the way I want to, I'm content with my size & I accept people for who they are when they accept me unconditionally. My best of friends are those whom I feel the happiest being together with, as they are pleased to have me as a part of their social lives regardless of my flaws. Being small is never a bother when I'm together with these people.