I was out for dinner with my family and as I walking back to the table with my food I overheard a girl telling her younger sister to stop staring. Of course I averted my eyes and pretend not to hear with my ears as it was the end of the work day and I was too tired to even muster a death stare.
As I sat there tackling the turkey and two veg on my plate and feeling somewhat energy replenished from eating, I did wonder about Warwick Davis’ view on how people react to us restricted growth people. How kids usually stare and point out the bleeding obvious (well to us) and their family members usually try to get them to shut up and thereby making the kids feel in the wrong, then we get the death stare from the kids for being told off for being curious.
There are days when I really wish that I could be sweetness and make light about this situation, that I could come up with an eloquent answer that puts all parties at ease. However I’m usually just as embarrassed as the parents, because, I don’t know about other people with restricted growth, but it’s like having the knife stuck in the same wound over and over and over again. I forget that I’m little, forget that I look physically different from your average person and wonder what all the attention is about.
But then there is the realisation that I am different from your average height person and that in itself is going to cause curiosity. That this is something I should get over, put a positive spin on it and be happy with my lot in life – which incidentally I am, however today, I am wobbling.
Just sometimes, sometimes, I wish I could be seen for me rather than the little me on first glance.