#FellowShortieFriday

Name: Rebekah Averett

Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC

Height: 4’ 113/4” (Don’t forget the ¾)

Bio: Rebekah is currently studying politics, philosophy, and economics in New York City. Her hobbies include reading, writing, and exploring. She loves adventure and recently went on a three-week trip to Israel. She is a true adrenalin junkie, and can best be described as a free spirit.

What do you love most about being short?

I've mastered the art of climbing to reach for things since I was a young warthog. I almost always fit in unnaturally cramped elevators and trains. When you think there’s no more room, I can always fit. Airplanes are actually comfortable for me. I manage my way to the front of every small venue I attend and if I don't, tall folk always offer to put me on their shoulders.

What type of challenges do you face because of your height?

When I'm walking down the street and my tall Bffls are contemplating important life matters and I'm unable to hear because I'm so far down. But in all seriousness, I feel short people often feel unheard or disrespected because of their height. Being short is often times accompanied with a sense of inferiority.

One of Rebekah's "Tall Bffls" Hope

What is the funniest thing someone has said to you regarding your height?

I’m still waiting for the day when I will hear a clever short joke. If I hear “What’s it like down there?” or “Man, you’re short” one more time…

Do you like being short?

Heck yeah I do. I am what I am.

How to Hug a Short Person

The moral of the story is if I can successfully hug someone who is 6 foot 6 inches tall, than anything is possible. For those of you who either a.) don't remember how tall I am or b.) aren't good at math, that's a height difference of 1 foot 7.5 inches.

Check out my step by step tutorial below:

Appearances by: Madie A. and Luke S. 

Shot by: Angela D.

Edited by: Annalise Bourgeois

Thanks for watching!
Now let the tall person/short person hugs commence.

#FellowShortyFriday

Fellow Shorty: [fel-oh] [shawr-tee]

noun

1. A short friend of someone who is also short

“My fellow shorty and I went to go get our nails done for one of our friend’s wedding and got mistaken for 14 year old sisters.” (This may or may not have actually happened)

2. A person to share in all the height woes

Each Friday, I will be interviewing a different fellow shorty and highlighting the beautiful shorties of the world. I am starting things off right with one of my favorite fellow shorties in the city, Kayla Redd.

Name: Kayla Redd

Height: 5’

Hometown: Kansas City, MO

Age: 20

Bio: Kayla is in her third year of college, studying media, culture, and the arts in New York City. At the age of 3, she started figure skating and continued through high school. In her apartment, you’ll find her sewing machine for when she is costuming a show or just wants a new peplum top. If there’s music on, you’re sure to find Kayla breaking it down at the center of the floor, making everyone else look like amateurs.

What is one of your favorite short stories? (Very Punny, Aye?)

I babysit this little boy Asher and when he first met me, he thought that his mom had hired a kid to play with him. Once he realized I was just a short adult, he got really sad. (Sorry to disappoint) Every time I see him, I have to explain to him that I am done growing but he’s not and one day he’s going to be taller than me. He was so cute about it; he told me that he would still love me even when he’s taller.

What do you like most about being short?

I like the solidarity between short girls. There is definitely a sense of understanding when you meet someone else who is your height. Also, I like being able to surprise people with what I can do, people tend to underestimate what I’m capable of because of my height.

Are there any perks to being on the short side of things?

Calf muscles. I worked at an ice cream shop last summer and I couldn’t see over the counter. Customers would order and in order to hear them I would have to be on my tippy toes the entire time.

Be sure, to check my blog every Friday for a #FellowShortyFriday

My Fellow Shorty and I take Brooklyn Bridge

Enjoying our lemonade at Smorgasburg

Who Me?

Before taking time out of your busy schedule to read my blog, I think it’s only fair to give you a little insight into the shorty behind the shortcomings. Here are some important things to keep in mind when reading my blog.

I am the youngest of 5 children, and being heard was not always easy. If you were going to attempt to add to the kitchen table conversation, you better have something insightful or funny to say, if not, we’d ask that you remain silent. In all seriousness, my family has taught me everything I needed to know about being the shortest one in the room. Couldn’t ask for anybody better. (Sorry for the sap)

I’ve played soccer for 15 of my 20 years of life. From a young age, I developed this habit of being way too aggressive on the field. Even after 15 years of club teams, district selects, indoor soccer, high school soccer, I have never in all my years gotten a yellow card. Statistically, this is unheard of but when you think about it, it makes sense. Referees feel bad for the child-looking girl on the field.  Who said being short didn’t have any perks.

Lastly, I’m from Boston. So, if you’re wondering why my posts are filled with sarcasm and sass, that’s why. Who would want to be a southern belle, when you could be a rough around the edges girl from Boston? Right, that’s what I’m saying.

Little Black Disappointed

One rainy August afternoon, I was walking down Fulton Street when all of a sudden this magical thing happened. I saw a sign in the window of Aldo shoes that read, “All Clearance 50% off,” also known as every broke girls dream. What I found in the clearance section was a hodge-podge of unfortunate excuses for footwear, but like every clearance sale there is always that one item that rises above the rest. I found these suede grey flats and thought, “These are cute but they’d be even better in black.”  The good news: they had them in black. The bad news: they weren’t on sale. Naturally, I ended up paying an extra 25 dollars to get the same shoes, not on sale, in black. You know what that makes me, a sucker. (Even Daffy Duck knows I got played.) To my surprise, Aldo had them in a size 5 but I had to order them online and get them shipped to the store.

One week later:

I get a call from the store informing me that my flats have arrived. I pick them up, get home, open the box, and the first thing I see is a card that says, “Keep it romantic and casual at the same time with these lovely pointy-toe ballet flats.” I want to be casual. I want to be romantic. It’s meant to be. I then proceeded to try them on and THEY WERE TOO BIG. I started thinking all of these horrible things, “How could this be?” “They say size 5, I’m a size 5.” “Did my foot shrink?” I then proceeded to try on all of my size 5 shoes.  *sigh of relief* It’s just the shoes. Just as I thought all hope was lost, I gave it one last-ditch effort: foot petals. For the normal person, a foot petal is a heel cushion meant to make your shoes more comfortable, but for me they are the beacon of hope to “keeping it romantic and casual.” I start putting these petals in my shoes, one on top of the other, so that I have about 3 cushions in each heal. Nope, still too big. Depression starts to sink in, I’m not Cinderella.

2 months later:

I forgot to return them. I don’t have the receipt. But what I do have is brand new shoes, that don’t fit. Dear Aldo, I should have known from the beginning that 50% off clearance was too good to be true. At this point, I need to get rid of them; they’re just in the closet, staring at me, laughing at me. Do you want them? Does your sister want them? Is Grandma looking for some trendy new flats? Someone take these from me.

But really.