PLEASE NOTE: The preliminaries are over and now it’s time for the real fun to begin. The following is what I consider to be my true inaugural blog entry. If you have come to the site before now, read the intro and my first post about why I blog, I certainly appreciate it. All of that has been necessary for me—a great learning experience and good practice for the mechanics of setting up the site itself. But now that I have at least a small knowledge of how to post, how to make the site look at least sort of like I envision, it’s time to get on with it. I have been writing up a storm and plan to post an entry at the end of each week for the foreseeable future. Maybe more, maybe less, depending on the level of craziness in my life at any given time. You will still hopefully see tweaks and improvements if you choose to go along on this journey with me. I hope you will enjoy what I’ve come up with.
NO COMMENTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY...
I have a brand on me that has been part of my identity pretty much since I was born. 10lbs, 4oz., 22 inches in length. A sort of tattoo, permanent in its own way. I am what's commonly known as a tall person. This is about my version of normal...
A friend and frequent co-worker once remarked as we were working that he couldn't believe how many people made some sort of comment about my height on any given day. Having taken this for granted for so long, I was taken aback at this and realized that what I experienced as a so-called vertically enhanced individual was not what everybody goes through in their normal course of life.
I guess my life is filled with things taken for granted that might surprise another person. For instance, my head has an extra layer of scar tissue strewn across the top of it from all the countless times I have banged it into something that might have been just a bit too low, a doorway just below the standard height, a basement beam, countless other things that might be sharp and sticking out of something as I went by. God forbid if I ever go bald--fortunately at this point I still have (most of) a full head of hair, even though I do suffer from rising forehead syndrome. Concussions? Who knows--maybe. Some of the impacts have been pretty significant. I do remember seeing some pretty serious stars swirling around in odd circles along with intense pain on a number of the more severe collisions. But unlike some retired NFL players of today, I haven't felt like killing myself while wearing a dress lately. So maybe I'm OK in the concussion department for the time being.
My friend and haircutter extraordinaire Lisa Anderson lives her own version of life in the tall lane. When we get together every 7 weeks or so we have lots to talk about!
My knees are also prone to banging into things, whether it be the airplane seat in front of me after I have shoehorned myself in for a mostly dreaded plane ride somewhere, or the seat in front of me at the sports stadium. Movie theater seats are often challenging as the people directly in front of me come up and usually fall in to their seats, reclining directly into my waiting knees. And I'm painfully aware that I'm not the one you want to see at the theater coming down the row in front of you. Thank God for stadium seating!
Any time spent in public places provides me with a different glance than I imagine most strangers would give another. It's longer than the typical look, just enough time to register that this person they see has some unusual characteristic, and then just enough longer for them to search their memory banks for what famous has been over the hill athlete I might be. I've been asked if I was Bill Walton plenty of times, a question which kind of makes me cringe (sorry Bill...) Plus, he's quite a bit taller than me even. How about Matthew McConnaughey? People have said I look a little like him too. Not sure how tall Matthew is, but that is one I would be all over. Unfortunately the Bill Walton comments outnumber the McConnaugheys by a good number.
Bill WAS my hero back in the dark ages when he played for UCLA...
What do you think? THE CHOICE IS OBVIOUS PEOPLE!!! >>>>>>>>>>
My brother??
Most of the time I remain pretty good natured about the inevitable comments and arising conversations. I've literally heard them all, but will give credit when credit is due for originality. Sometimes I like to have a little fun with the kids when they look up in wonder and ask how tall I am. I tell them 5' 18" and enjoy the very strange, confused looks on their faces.
I do sometimes have an interesting commentary running inside my head though, which if made public might mean trouble of some sort. That in itself is enough for a whole blog entry so I will save that for another time.
On the bright side, believe it or not I consider my height of 6' 6" the high side of normal. I can still walk through a regular doorway without ducking, as long I'm not wearing platform shoes (yeah, right). Having a long torso allows me pants of 'relatively' normal inseam lengths. I can lay in a queen sized bed without my feet hanging off the end (as long as my head is right up at the top). I do pity my brethren who have been blessed with heights of 6' 8" or above. Doorways? Ouch. Watch out fellas! Beds? Stand by for some really awkward sleeping positions. But I guess you do get used to it. Clothing? Good luck dudes. Big and tall clothing is certainly readily available these days, but I find the emphasis to be on 'big' and not 'tall'. Although considered nerdy by my wife and kids, I'm not real thrilled to dress like a 4XXL grandpa. A 6 ft tall woman? Oh I feel mightily for you, but please--just so you all know--you Amazonians out there, somebody loves you.
Sometimes there are obvious advantages to being vertically enhanced. Which cameraman would you choose? My new friend Steve or me at 6' 6"? Or my dear friend and old college roommate Gregg Walterhouse at...well, you better ask him. (Who by the way was a very good sport to pose for this picture...)
All in all I'm blessed. Blessed beyond recognition. Comfortable in my skin? I can't say always, but mostly at my advanced age. I am happy to be one of God's lankier creatures and I wouldn't change a thing. My friends of all shapes and sizes know this. I'm happy to live life in the tall lane.