Defensive

Hello and welcome.

I’ve been told that petite people are always aggressive and somewhat defensive, some use the words stubborn and hard headed, it’s like a stereotype. Well I’m petite (some people say I’m just ok, well, I’m 5 Feet 2″ ). So in defense of small statured people I often try to explain that this attitude that has been ascribed to our kind is really just a reaction to our experiences. Small-looking people are often overlooked, pushed aside, ignored and taken for granted based on their size, trust me I’ve been the victim time and time again, so I know. It can be pretty frustrating.

I remember my brother (who is also small statured) being told he couldn’t sit next to the emergency exit of an airplane because the flight attendant assumed he was below 18years, funny thing is at that time the young man was in his 20’s! So we get alot of that. I went to get my ATM card at a bank one time and one of the cashier’s asked if I was done with secondary school, I couldn’t laugh.

I can share experience after experience, some are downright hilarious and others are quite upsetting just thinking about them. So, I want to speak to two parties tonight;

1. The small statured people all around the world
2. Every person that doesn’t fall into category 1.

So to all my people in the house, my soul sisters and brothers, fellow petite individuals. You need to build confidence in something other than your size. If you are like me, you probably walk into a room expecting to be taken for granted, and ready for a fight when it happens. Please, let’s change our mindset. Some people would take you for granted even if you were 6 feet tall, its not you, they just have a problem respecting others. The problem with carrying that chip on your shoulder is that even when people are nice you still stand on the defense line.

So let’s bury the hatchet it’s not an us against the world situation, it’s a battle we have to win within ourselves first, and If you are a Christian, all the better, your Identity is in who Christ has made you and that’s a very high calling. So even when some small minded people treat you anyhow either because of your size or because that’s just how they know how to act, please react with grace don’t bring out the guns, don’t start giving attitude, be nice.

Now to those blessed with a not so petite stature, I admire you, you are fearfully and wonderfully made too. But please don’t look down on those who aren’t your size, assuming that they are most probably younger than you are, many times they are not. But even if they were, respect doesn’t have to be a reward for ageing or size, respect people because they are PEOPLE, they breathe, they bleed, they have emotions.

Secondly, when you meet a small-statured person that has an attitude please be understanding, we’ve been stepped on so many times that we’ve had to develop thick skin (Which is not an excuse really, but we’d keep working at letting past hurts go). Finally please don’t assume that every petite person has an attitude, get to know each person with a truly open mind first before passing judgement. Thank you.

Truth be told, this applies to many other areas of our lives, some of us have grown a tough skin because we have been teased about the way we talk, the way we walk, our inability to speak our mother tongue, the fact that we can’t face a crowd, or we have tremors when carrying out tasks etc. And so in situations where these defects may show we are set and ready to beat down anyone that may look at us as less because of these things. Let’s change our hearts in advance. People would tease and laugh and make jest, but the best defense isn’t an attitude, it’s to stop allowing it matter. There’s more to you than that.

Cheers to responding with grace😉

P.S- You known one advantage of being pettite, it’s really easy to get my shoe size in the market. Look who’s laughing now!😂 Just kidding though.

#JesusRules