An opinion | by PAIGE WENDLAND

 ‘You’re really tall.’Â 

I can guarantee I’ve heard that extremely obvious statement at least a few thousand times.  Here’s a news flash for those of you out there who remind me of this wonderful attribute on an hourly basis: I know I’m tall.  I don’t need to be told every 8 minutes.  No, I would not like to stand up so you can feel twice as short.  No, I don’t play basketball.   And no, I don’t play volleyball. You know, some people might be very offended if you called them a waste of a tall person.  But, yes, I do enjoy towering over just about every other girl my age.  It gets kind of fun.  And I know you’re jealous.  You should be.  Being a 6” 4″, 15-year-old girl may draw a lot of attention, but I think it”s fantastic.

It’s not like I radiate total negativity whenever someone mentions my height.  It’s just that some people have developed an uncanny proficiency in the art of stating the obvious.  Although you may think I’d be elated to hear that I’m as tall as your dad or your entire hand is smaller than my palm, I”m not that interested.

I admit I enjoy other people”s excitement in small things – feeling miniscule when standing next to me, for instance.  But it gets old.  Really old.  

“Do you know your feet are bigger than mine?” the five-foot girl standing in line next to me at Panera said. “Why yes I do!” I responded with way too much enthusiasm. She stared at me like I”m a maniac and walked away silently. I laughed.

Though I may cast an uncontrollably ominous shadow toward people sometimes, I am not plotting to ferociously attack them anytime soon (just because your head may only come to my shoulder does not mean that I have to be a scary, intimidating, I-will-eat-you monster). 

The other day I saw a girl around my age who appeared to be about 6 feet tall, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh. She’s really tall.’  Then I realized: I’m 4 inches taller than her.  Sweet.  I bet she gets stared at for hours on end too.

In the future, please consider whether or not telling me, ‘You’re really tall,’ whenever I  stand up, is of the utmost importance.  To the new crop of freshmen who can’t seem to grasp the fact that most people do not enjoy being stared at constantly throughout a free, having my every move monitored gets old quickly. 

On the subject of nicknames: please be creative.  “Jolly Green Giant” does not qualify.  I have been called “Dinopaiger,” “Paj Mahal,” and “Leaning Tower of Paige-a,” so I am definitely used to being referred to as a prehistoric creature or ancient piece of architecture.

I still have no idea why people find me such a fascinating specimen – I”m just tall. Next time you see me, please avoid the mind-numbingly repetitive conversation I have had too many times to count: ‘You’re really tall.’Â Â 

‘I know.’  

‘How tall are you?’  

‘6’4’.’  

‘Okay then. Bye.’  

‘Goodbye.’