...a little person?

Hmmm...
 One of my favorite shows, and of my younger daughter , is Little People Big World. It's a reality-based show that follows the lives of the Roloff family. Matt and Amy Roloff are dwarfs, or little people(lp's)who live in Oregon on a farm with their 4 children. we've  been watching for a couple of seasons, since it started, and I have made a discovery...I am only 2" above the classification limit for an LP. Being 5' even I miss the 4'10" max height qualifier, by the amount shown below in the space between this paragraph and the next.
Not alot of a difference, to me. I've obviously known that I am shorter than alot of folks. Funny thing, in the 5th grade I was the tallest girl in my class! While the other kids continued to grow, I didn't. I waited for years for my final girl growth "spurt" to kick in until I finally accepted the fact that I had "spurted" early and was done. I think I may have edged up another 1/2" at some point but at almost 43 yrs now I am sure it's long gone again. I ruined my feet working long hours as a Library Technician, or Public Service Assistant as it is now called, in high heels before I got smart and wore flats for comfort. I couldn't work well at the desk computers without being on a stool as the counters are generally set at 48" height, but at least I could walk the next morning without my feet cramping all night long. I've always had problems with counter tops being too high, with needing step stools cluttering the house somewhere, with never being able to reach above the bottom shelf of upper cabinetry in the kitchen...items on the top shelf in grocery stores are a major pain to get to, I can't read the price labels on those shelves and sometimes the ones under that. I use kitchen tongs as arm extenders(they work great, btw). I lift my kids up so that they can reach stuff that are above that. And all this time, I never even considered that I could possibly be dealing with a disability. I just thought, and still do, that everybody else is too tall. Hmmmm...so, I find myself totally relating to many of the things that the Roloff's are dealing with. Steps are never the right height, chairs and seats are too high so my lower legs dangle uncomfortably. Car pedals are also an issue, especially with a manual. I HATE to sit so close to the dash and wheel, yet I have to be able to reach the pedals. I can't even begin to tell you how cool adjustable pedals are to me!!!! Yeehaw, was my thought when I first drove a vehicle with adjustable pedals!!!
We're planning on a move to a new house in the next couple of months. One of my major issues is that the countertops cannot, absolutely CANNOT, be as high as they are usually made. I'd like to have the very top of the counter be no higher than 40" max, about 3 1/2 feet. Not sure that they'll do that, most builders look at me funny because cabinets just aren't pre-manufactured at that height, and we aren't doing custom. So I guess we'll see.
Anyway, I am grateful to the new insight I have into my size and my acceptance now. I view myself a bit differently, and that's okay. I, like the Roloff's, feel like I'm living in a world that wasn't made for me, but I am determined to make things happen still. http://mattroloff.com/
If you're interested in learning more about the Roloff's and their story, follow the link: http://mattroloff.com/