When I first met Ariel she, as many of you have noticed that I am bigger then the average person. I am 6’7” so that puts me about 9 inches taller then the average male. Now since I grew up playing basketball most of my friends were also taller, so I never really noticed it. My short friends in college were 6’2”. We honestly thought they were tiny people who couldn't reach the top shelf and needed a booster seat to drive.
So back to when I met Ariel. When I met her she thought wow this guy is a giant. He's a head taller then everyone in most rooms. What she did not know is what comes with that. I can literally go anywhere and people stare at me and ask me how tall I am. Now over the years I have become numb to this, but her being new to it she couldn't get use to it. A normal conversation goes like this:
Stranger: Wow I feel short! Me: Wow I feel tall. S: How tall are you? M: 6’7”
S: Did you play basketball? M: Yes I played professionally overseas. S: My (insert family member) is 6’2” M: Yeah he’s almost there just has a little more to go. S: Must be nice being able to see the top of peoples heads. M: Yeah its great I’m always the first to know when it starts raining Laughter and a polite goodbye.
Now that conversation is my normal. I’d say I have it 5 times a week on average. It’s all in good fun and I have my standard joke to end the conversation and people enjoy it. The advantage of being a giant is I am very memorable. People who don't remember my name will always say the tall guy with the beard. Or, the tall guy who sells houses.
The disadvantage is I usually do not see people. Since my eye level is higher then most people I am just oblivious to people sometimes when I am running around and my mind is elsewhere because I do not see their face. This awkward situation happened recently to me at Publix.
I was shopping and walked right past a person I helped buy a house. I walked right past them like they were a stranger. A couple days go by and I see them again and we speak and they mentioned I thought you forgot who I was, you walked right by me without even a wave. I explain to them my eye sight problem they laugh and all is forgiven.
So if you receive this letter please know I know who you are and if I ever walk past you please just yell out “wow I feel short” and we can have a quick laugh together and catch up some on life. Also it will save me the embarrassment of being in a world of my own 9 inches higher then most.