How do you see yourself?

So I've been thinking about self-image issues a lot lately. I had a group of girls over at my apartment last weekend and we were talking about body image in the media, and how on blogs and message boards fat girls are saying skinny girls look like emaciated skeletons and skinny girls are saying fat girls are disgusting and lazy. Likewise, when i was a teenager this boy I liked called me a tree trunk. Weird insult, but amazing how the embarrassment has stuck with me. Obviously there should be no ideal body type, and everyone's body should be celebrated. But how do we get young girls to understand this? Is it perfunctory to feel bad about yourself growing up because you're different, whether it's too tall, too short, too dark, too chubby or whatever it is? Is there a way to instill self esteem in girls, or do they have to get there, as I did, through a long, difficult, self-doubting process? I certainly don't have the answer, but a couple things that have been boosting my self-esteem lately: bright red lipstick, and these Jeffrey Campbell shoes, which I am hoping to buy eventually (Shoutout: barefoottess.com!). Hey, it's the little things that count.

Tall reading...

Has anyone read "The Tall Book" by Arianne Cohen? I was just checking out her Web site. The book claims to answer the age old questions, "Why do tall people succeed professionally, financially and intellectually? Why are tall men the most successful dating and mating group on earth, while tall women have low birth rates? And who the hell is behind those airplane seats?" I wonder if there's actual research on these things or if she used anecdotal evidence. Either way, I'd like to talk to whoever's responsible for the airplane seats.

Follow me!

Hi there. Thanks to everyone for commenting on the previous post. It's usually good to use humor in awkward situations that always happen from time to time. Last week I was walking in my neighborhood and a man sitting on a restaurant patio shouted that age old question, "How tall are you?" I replied with a "None of your business" and controlled myself enough to omit the expletive ;) Anyways, I get emails quite often from people who like the blog. Why don't y'all follow me? I put my followers right on the top of the page. You, yes you, should join in! Let's really try to create a community here--and I'm really going to make an effort to post more often. Also, I finally succombed to Twitter, though I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with it yet. Anyone have tips on how best to use it??? I feel very un-hip and old not knowing. Speaking of old, my birthday's Tuesday! Yay! Too bad that's the day we lay out the newspaper so I will be at work aalllll day and night. Maybe I'll take a break from InDesign to post.

greeeat question.

I know I know. The guilt is overwhelming! Poor tallgirlwrites.com, sitting here alone, languishing with lame posts and few interested readers. Let's revive this sucker! I got a job! Doing a lot of commuting but it's a REPORTING job, yes they do still exist. It's going well. Let's have some fun now...Someone asked me how tall I was the other day (Shocker!), and I usually just tell them. But it got me thinking about all the replies I've come up with over the years. Please add to this list:

Replies to The Question Tall Women are Asked Most: How tall are you?

--What a great question! I'm 6'4", now tell me how much you weigh.
--Ask me that again and I will squash you.
--Congratulations! You're the one millionth person to ask me that. What does he win, Bob?
(it helps to carry confetti around if you're going to use this one.)
--Oh, are you doing a survey to determine the height of people who are trying to mind their own business?

Another one is: Do you play basketball?

--No. I do enjoy dropkicking short people, though. May I?
--(Mock excitement) Are you a WNBA scout?!?!!! Yes! I knew the only requirement to be a great basketball player was to be over 6 feet tall! (aaaand deadpan.) All me troubles are over.

Long time coming

Hello! Sorry it's been so long since I posted. A lot has happened since the end of January. Spring is finally starting to break through the dreary Spokane winter, which is definitely raising my spirits. I got a part time job housekeeping for a small company back in February. It's definitely not ideal, but I was glad to have a paycheck and something to do! I published a freelance piece in a local magazine here called the Inland Business Catalyst, and it turned out pretty good, but I haven't gotten any more freelance opportunities since then. There's a reporting job open in a small town in Idaho about an hour and a half from here. I'm hoping to get it even though it's quite a commute. Anything would be a great opportunity right now, and it seems like a solid newspaper.
Anyway, I was just feeling guilty about not writing for a while but I'm not much in the mood either so I'll try to write more in-depth soon.

Monday Impressions and a Rant

Happy Monday! I'm never exactly sure what day it is since I'm still out of work, but I'm pretty positive today is Monday. I've been in Spokane now for three weeks and two days, and I feel pretty comfortable here. I've been out and about in the city; I figured out the main roads and found the library, the newspaper office and of course the unemployment office. From what I've heard there are a lot of people out of work in Spokane...maybe that's why I can't get an interview.
I spoke to a local woman last week about jobs and she said that this town was pretty blue collar and she advised me that it's not always good to show off my college degree because it could come off like I think too highly of myself. That shocked me. Shouldn't I be proud of my education? Shouldn't my degree show my dedication, work ethic and ability to overcome obstacles? I certainly won't be taking my degree, or my GPA, off my resume, even though most of the jobs I'm applying for don't require a college education. Since when was education something to be embarrassed about?

Oops!

Sorry readers (a.k.a. Mom)! I haven't lived up to my promise of a post a day. I know it's no excuse, but I really have been busy. I'm really getting in gear with my job search, sending out lots of e-mails and resumes. Yesterday I went to the job services office in Spokane; it was busy. As I was waiting I noticed a man who was striking up a one-sided conversation with anyone who sat near him. Soon enough he was sitting next to me, asking me the age old question. "How tall are you?" I told him, and he proceeded with the usual basketball and modeling comments. He started telling me how he'd been waiting there for four hours to have a job interview, etc. etc. What struck me wasn't so much the generic tall girl comments, but just this guy's inability to have a conversation. I've encountered more than one person lately who will just talk and talk and you can't get a word in edge-wise. Are they aware that by smothering people with information they're being extremely rude and annoying? When the person you're talking to repeatedly says, "Weelll..." and takes a few steps away from you, it's a sign that they want out! I just wonder if this guy was socially inept or just really really lonely and talkative. Either way, my name was called and a career advisor saved me.
I should get back to my applications. I just wanted to post before I forgot.

Leave me a comment if you're reading! What do you want to hear about?