Are you taller than a 5th grader? Well, I come pretty darn close, I’m right in the middle. According to my research, the average 5th-grade boy in the good old USA is 4’ 10 “ tall and girls are 4’8” tall. My whopping 4’9” stature puts me right in the middle.
It’s always been kind of a joke in my family, and we are not very tall people at all, that all the kids would come up to me and see if they are “taller than Aunt Sue”? It’s fun for the kids and everyone laughs including me, ‘cause I ain’t getting’ any taller.
I know I’ve said before that I have been this height for a long time and it doesn’t bother me anymore when people point out my height or lack thereof. This was not always the case.
When I graduated from college my first job was as a news anchor at a little AM/FM radio station in Bradford, PA. I loved this job, it was by far the best job I ever had. I loved being on the radio, getting out into the community and meeting people, doing appearances and that sort of thing But that being said, the hours were crappy, (weekends, holidays, etc.) the pay was crappy(my father had actually paid more for my college tuition than I was making in a year, ouch!)
One day I got this phone call from the principal of the middle school, they wanted me to come in for career day. I was like ok, that sounds cool. My regular shift was 5 am – 1 pm so as soon as I got off the air I headed on over to the school to give my talk on being a radio news reporter.
Now security wasn’t quite so tight in schools like it is today, and the teacher had given me the room number, I waltzed on into the school in search of the classroom. I was wandering around a bit when a voice from behind me shouted: “Stop young lady and turn around!” I did as I was told, turned around and started walking toward the man who had halted me. “Where’s your hall pass?” he says to me. “Where are you supposed to be right now?” I look down at a scrap of paper, told him where I was going and that I was the presenter for career day. He laughed, I was confused. “I thought you were a student”, he says to me. I laugh, kinda annoyed. This dude thinks this is hysterical and he continues to laugh as he escorts me to the classroom. I am not so amused.
This story gets less annoying as time goes by and oh how I wish someone would mistake me for a middle school student today! Are you taller than a 5th grader? Short but mighty, shortgirls rule!