The Short One

I vividly remember my middle school days, particularly Picture Day. Picture Day was the one day, every year, where I would dress in my best clothes, straighten my hair to look the best it could possibly look, give my biggest smile and....stand in the back of the line. Every. Year.

Yes, I'm the short one. The shortest one. 5'1 to be exact. That was my classification for years on end. I was the one people mistook for a younger kid, the human post taller kids would lean on, the person who needed help reaching a book on the top shelf. And every year, I was the one who would instinctively go to the back of the line when my class took our yearly group picture. It became standard protocol: go to the end of the line and make semi-awkward conversation with the same boy who always stood in front of me. Being short was my signature. It defined me, in one way or the other, and I'll never forget it.

Now a senior in high school, I may not be the human post anymore, but I still hold that my height is my trademark. Doesn't everyone have their trademark look? Something about their appearance that defines them? Blonde hair, long legs, brown eyes, short pixie haircut, combat boots. Aren't we judged by the way we look? Doesn't our appearance affect aspects of our life?

"Diversity" by Karen Merry

As the short one, I feel as if appearance affects everyday life in more ways than one would expect. From affecting a prospective voter's perception of presidential candidates, to giving a reader a very specific and telling description of a character, to defining a culture or affecting your chances of getting a job—appearance and aesthetics hold value in many aspects of society. These are the ideas and situations I want to explore in detail.

Who knows? Maybe we do judge books by their covers. 

Nicole

Merry, Karen. "Diversity." Fine Art America. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2012. <http://fineartamerica.com/featured/diversity-karen-merry.html>.