圓滾滾香菇森林歷險記

Sometimes, one of the toughest mental health challenges we face is simply learning to feel good about ourselves. We can all learn something from Rebecca Thomas, a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior who wrote the following essay for her journalism class. — Tara Parker-Pope

By Rebecca Thomas

Becky Thomas with her 5-foot-9-inch journalism professor Grace Lim. (Photo by Megan Sheridan)

Everywhere I go people stare at me. At the grocery store children gawk at me wide-eyed, craning their necks and pointing as they tug their mothers’ shirts. When I pass people on the street, I hear them mumble comments about my appearance.

I am not deformed or handicapped, I’m not a circus attraction. I have strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. What makes me different is that I’m 6-foot-4, and I’m a woman.

My entire life has been influenced by the fact that I stand way above the average height for both men and women. I was born two weeks late. When I finally entered the world I weighed 11 pounds, 10 ounces and was 24 inches long. When my mom told my grandmother my measurements, she asked in amazement, “Are you okay?!”

Shortly after my birth, my parents and doctors started to worry that there was something wrong with me. From infancy though high school, my parents took me to specialists for X-rays, blood and bone tests and ultrasounds to try to discover the cause of my extreme height. In the end, however, I had no disease or syndrome. My parents are 6-foot-3 and 5-foot-10, so I was simply the extraordinary product of two tall individuals.

I was healthy, but incredibly shy as a child and into my teens. I’m from a small town, and I grew up and graduated with the same 50 people. I started playing basketball in third grade every Saturday, but I didn’t have any control over my awkward, gangly body. (I didn’t even score a point in a game until many years later.) I was 5-foot-10 in fourth grade. I had a small group of friends in elementary school, but sometimes the boys picked on me, calling me a bean pole or the Jolly Green Giant. I still remember my embarrassment when they taunted me, and how badly I wanted to be invisible.

In high school I got more involved in sports, but I spent most days in the art room. By this time everyone at my school was used to my height (by ninth grade I was 6-foot-3), but if I went out of town people would gawk and comment about my appearance. They acted like I couldn’t hear them.

“Wow! That girl is tall!”

“Oh my gosh! Look at that girl, she’s so tall.”

I was forced into the spotlight wherever I went.

With high school came more confidence. I had success in school, the arts and sports. I played basketball, but my true passion was track and field. My senior year I was the conference champion in high jump and the 400-meter run. The friendships I gained through my involvement in high school boosted my confidence and helped me develop a sense of humor. Now when a stranger told me I was tall I would smile and nod or, if I was feeling feisty, I would feign shock and thank them profusely for telling me. I had no idea!

Still, society keeps me aware of my status as a rarity. The retail industry doesn’t exactly cater to a woman with a 37-inch inseam and size 14 feet. I never dated, let alone kissed a guy until I was in college. And even though people tell me I’m beautiful and I should be a model, there are times when I would trade in my long legs for a petite frame and tiny feet.

I often wish people weren’t so rude. How can they act so unabashedly shocked when they see someone who is different from them? And I’ve got it easy; I’m a minority only in the sense of height. I can only imagine how those under the burden of a group prejudice based on their race or religion must feel. I like to think that those who have insulted me didn’t intend to. I do believe that most people are basically good, but they can be insensitive.

I have come to learn that my height can be used to my advantage. I’ll be graduating from college with a journalism degree soon, and when I stand up and ask a question, people listen. I’m a pretty decent high jumper, I can reach things on tall shelves, and I have a conversation starter for every occasion.

Being a tall woman was hard for me growing up. But in the end, I think it has made me a stronger individual. I’ve grown into my body, and I try my best to wear all 76 inches of my height with pride, and take the awkward comments and stares with poise.

In fact, sometimes I wear heels. Just to make them look twice.

Ms. Thomas is graduating this fall, and her boyfriend stands 6 feet 1 inch tall. Tara Parker-Pope is on vacation.

 

有時候，一個最艱難的挑戰，
就是我們要輕鬆的去面對我們自己.
我們可以從Rebecca Thomas身上學一些東西，
一個 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 四年級生
在他的新聞學課寫了以下了這篇報告  — Tara Parker-Pope
                                                                               
By Rebecca Thomas
                                                                               
不管我走到哪，人們總是會盯著我看！
雜貨店的小孩拉著他們媽媽的衣服伸長了脖子指向我並且目瞪口呆的看著我.
當我走在街上，路人們總是窸窸窣窣的在評論著我的外觀.
我不是畸形也不是殘障，更不是馬戲團的吸引主題.
我有草莓棕色的頭髮和藍色的眼睛.
讓我與眾不同的是我是個6呎4(193公分)的女生.
                                                                               
因為我的身高比一般男生和女生的平均身高還要高，我的整個人生也因為這樣被影響了.
 我出生時，比預產期晚了兩個星期.
當我終於來到了這個世界，我的體重11磅10 盎司和24英吋高(60公分).
當我媽告訴我祖母我的尺寸時，我祖母驚訝的問我媽：「你還好吧？」
                                                                               
我生日的不久之後，我的父母跟醫生開始擔心我是不是有哪裡不對勁.
從小到高中, 我父母帶我給專家測試 X光、血液、骨頭跟超音波，
想要找到讓我變那麼高的原因.
最後，不管怎麼測試，我都沒有任何的疾病或其他症狀.
我父母是6呎3(190cm)跟5呎10(176cm)，
所以我是兩個高個所生產的特別產物.
                                                                               
我很健康但是我小時候到我的青少年時期都是瘋狂的害羞.
我是從一個小鎮來的，跟我一起長大畢業的人都是那一樣的50個人.
我小學三年級的時候開始每個星期六去打籃球
但是我卻沒辦法控制我那笨拙又瘦長的身體. (在那幾年我甚至連一分都沒得過.)
                                                                               
我小學四年級就有5呎10(176cm).
在小學時我有一小群朋友
但是有時候男孩們會叫我竹竿或是綠巨人.
我依然記得這些令我難堪的事，
當他們嘲笑我時，我恨不得能夠消失.
                                                                               
高中時，我花更多的時間在運動上，
但其實大多時間我也在美術教室.
當時學校的人已經習慣我的身高了(國三的時候，我身高6呎3(190cm))，
但是當我出城的時候人們還是會對我的外觀目瞪口呆和評論著，
他們以為我都聽不到
“Wow! 這女的真高”
“我的天啊！快看哪女的，好高喔！”
我像是走到哪都像有聚光燈照著.
                                                                               
當我高中越來越有自信後.
我在運動和美術都很成功.
我打籃球，但是我真真的熱情是在田徑.
在我高三那年，我拿到了跳高跟400公尺的聯盟冠軍.
我高中的友誼促進了我的信心並且幫助我開發幽默感.
現在當有陌生人說我很高時，
我會微笑並且向他點頭或是如果我覺得心情很好，
我會假裝驚訝並且大方的感謝他們告訴我這件事，告訴他們我不知道我很高耶！
                                                                               
這個社會依然讓我明白知道我是稀有的.
零售商也並沒有給女生穿的37英吋的褲長或是給US14的腳穿的女鞋.
我從沒約過會或吻過任何一個男生直到我進大學.
就算很多人跟我說我很漂亮我應該當模特兒如果我嬌小一點或是腳小一點.
我常常希望人們不要那麼不禮貌.
當他們看到有人與他們不一樣時，
為什麼他們可以表現的那麼不害臊的驚訝.
不過我已經不在乎了.我只是少數的那些高度特別的人，
我能了解那些因為種族或宗教而被相同對待的感覺.
我認為路人說那些話是無心的.
我也相信大部分的都是好人但是他們不夠敏感.
我必須去學習我的身高其實是我的優點.
                                                                               
我是個即將要從大學的新聞系畢業的學生，
當我起身問問題，人們傾聽.
我是個還不錯的跳高運動員，
我能拿得到放得較高的物品，
我能在任何場合開啟話題
                                                                               
在長大的過程中當一個比一般人高的女生對我來說是困難的，
但最後身高讓我的身心更強壯，
我的身長成了193公分，
我的心能夠應付那些異樣的評論
                                                                               
事實上，
我有時候還會穿高跟鞋，
讓我的身高看起來更高
                                                                               
Ms. Thomas 4月畢業，
他和他的男朋友6呎1(185cm)Tara Parker-Pope 現在正在度假.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/life-as-a-tall-girl/



我要加油
人家193都有了
可是她腿好長好漂亮...
今天原本騙我朋友我告白
終於有男友了 
唉 結果沒上當
可惡 鼻子長長了