Being short--- not a big deal

This post is especially dedicated to all my short/small friends out there. I am a small person. Mind you when I say small, I mean small! Being carried by short legs is no easy task, but one gets used to not ever reaching the top shelf at the supermarket and having to ask a perfect stranger to get you the box of whatever it is one needs. Luckily, tall people are always willing to help and they do it with a smile on their face and a slight shake of their heads. You can almost hear what they are thinking: “Ah, this poor short woman, how cute!”

I’ve always been the shorter/smaller in my family and so all my life I’ve been awarded with sweet nicknames (said with love and affection, of course) such as “half-pint” “little one” “midget…” well, you get the picture.


To be honest, in spite of all the setbacks, such as never finding pants or coats that really fit and must always be altered, I like my height (or lack of). It’s got definite advantages. I am ever so comfortable flying on Economy Class, and while everyone else is suffering from cramps, I can even cross my legs! If I fall I can’t really get too hurt since I’m already close to the ground. In case of an emergency I can hide under a large flower pot… well, there are just too many advantages to mention.

When one is short/small, wearing high heel shoes is not a choice. It's a way of life, at least to me. In a society where looks are so important, I find that more respect is given to taller people. For example, there are two policemen wearing the same uniforms, one is short the other tall. Who will be more intimidating? Believe you me, it will not be the “half-pint”! I don’t know why this is but on the rare occasions when I wear flat shoes I do not get half the attention as when I wear high heels (this could be due to the fact that I am not really visible standing amidst everyone else) whatever the reason, high heel shoes are the main staple in my wardrobe and yes, they are always uncomfortable and make my feet hurt but who cares? A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do :0)

Aside from Napoleon Bonaparte, I truly believe most short men are not happy with their fate and they go through great lengths to camouflage…so glad I am a woman! Standing in high heel shoes is a lot sexier than standing on a box!

Stools and step ladders? Yes, I confess. I own an entire collection and they are scattered throughout every room in my house

And so to make a long story short, (no pun intended) I just want to say that while I wish to have been born with longer legs, I am perfectly happy to be just cute-little-old-me, after all, great things come in small packages... so I’ve been told :0)

Note: Photos by Weheartit.com

The wonder of it all...

"Ah, what would the world be to us

If the children were no more?

We should dread the desert behind us

Worse than the dark before..."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Photo by go.funpic.hu

Unrealistic Expectations

First of all I want to make clear that I am not a feminist.  I am not offended when a man opens a door for me or when I'm offered a seat in the bus. However, I do find it offensive when women are expected to fulfill certain requirements, which are not only unrealistic, but also unfair. The majority of females have been (and still are) the most common target for these unrealistic expectations. Models and daughters are good examples of these misconceptions.

A model has duties to perform, and due to the great amount of time consumed tending to external appearances, they are expected to be simple minded, vain, and essentialy non-intellectual.

Daughters also have a  role to perform. As females, a daughter is burdened with the unrealistic expectations to always be available to help the parents, as well as her own family. Sometime this means giving up an education, or a career.

It is a common human trait to play roles in order to gain acceptance from others. This usually means doing unwanted chores, like answering a telephone call  or attending a reunion when solitude is desired. As noted by Joan Didion in her essay titled On Self  Respect, "the fear of rejection overcomes the need to find self-respect".

Ms. Didion also claims that "innocence ends when one is stripped of the delusion that one likes oneself." Like a slap on the face, it becomes clear that no matter how many good deeds are performed, there is no guarantee of approval or acceptance from others. The roles that are played to please everyone else become the very delusion of liking oneself, but, are they genuine? Important? Necessary? According to Didion, a person must determine what really is important to oneself, and not to anyone else.

Facing reality means  many things. Like taking a good look at faults, mistakes, and weaknesses from within. Only by admitting the problems, an individual may become free of them. This process requires courage and determination, but without it self-respect may never be found.

In conclusion, it is clear that in order to find and retain self-respect, a person must go through different stages. Such as conquering fear, loosing a deluding innocence, and facing reality. Finding self-respect is a worthy cause, perhaps the most important one a person could achieve.

Note: All photos from Weheartit.com

 

Umbrellas

I am not really sure why but I have always been fascinated by umbrellas. Aside from their obvious service I think umbrellas lend a certain charm, they can always make a statement, and even provoke feelings...

Fashionable

Romantic

Playful and fun

Melancholic and mysterious

Lonely and sad

Intriguing

"The parasol is the umbrella's daughter..." Emily Dickinson

Photos by Weheartit.com

Tempting treasures

This year, like every year, I promised myself not to buy anymore Christmas ornaments. I was doing good but this past Friday I attended a very large Craft Fair and could not resist getting this terrific treasure.  

I mean, the face seems to be about to leap from the frame! The photo does no justice to the incredible details, from the stubble of the beard to the twinkle in the eyes. I just love it.

I had been toying with the idea of making a large Santa Claus and quite unexpectedly, I ended up making a Santa Bunny. Here it is, standing in my dining room.

After this, I have gone in a frenzy and the whole house has been turned upside down. My husband laughs and says he would not be surprised to find I had decorated the bathroom tissue...uhm, better not give me any ideas :0)

I made this dollhouse for my daughter when she was 3 years old. It now holds a place in our porch.

I am not really a "teal" sort of person, but this chair was just too beautiful to leave behind.

Now, I ask you, isn't wonderful to go totally overboard and run around so much that at the end of the day one barely has the strength to crawl into bed? I see a lot of heads nodding! So nice to be surrounded by so many other "nuts" :0) Enjoy!

Take a good look

I have never wasted my time making or even thinking about "New Year's Resolutions" simply because I know I would not follow them, however, I do like to leave time aside to take a look at the year that's about to end. I browse through my Journal (been keeping one since 1992) and it always amazes me to see how important any simple, regular day can be. I find that most of my deepest and meaningful entries are made precisely on such days when I go about the house doing chores, tending the garden, feeding the birds. There are no extravagant outings, no trips to Broadway to watch a show, no fireworks.

This morning, coffee cup in hand, I read an entry I made back in January about a friend who was having doubts about her feelings for a man she had been dating for some time. The man was gentle, thoughtful and loved her deeply. She panicked when he proposed because even though she had special feelings for him, she was afraid to make a mistake. You see, my friend thinks love is like they depict in romantic novels, where the heroine's knees buckle at the sight of her lover, where the whole room crackles with sexual tension, where rose petals are laid to indicate the path for a perfect ending. I tried to explain that most of the greatest romances are the quiet, deep running ones, and that while passion is wonderful, it can burn out because it cannot contain or hold such forces for too long. I suppose my advice was too boring and rational for her adventurous spirit because she declined the offer and is still searching for that flame, that "un n'est que..."


How about you? What's your ideal love? Are you still searching? Are you dying of thirst but can't see the glass of water right in front of you? I say take a good look. Opportunity rarely knocks twice!


Re-reading my entries give me an idea of where I was back on January 1st and where I am today. What has changed? What makes me happy? What annoys me? I find that while some of the things remain, many have evolved and I note with great joy that amongst my many blessings, one of the best is my ability to be content.


Wishing everyone a wonderful, warm, and beautiful season filled with quiet, deep love.