School Policy

Tall Children

These Dutch kids are so damn tall. I don't really notice it when they come in the room. I'm usually sitting and getting my papers together. But when they get up to leave, I stand at my desk with my bag in hand and they file past. Even some of the girls are very tall.

Of course, there are some people who just look tall. They have a long face or they sit tall in their seat. But there are some people who look like they would just be a person of normal height and they are taller than me, and I'm 6' 1". I used to be tall. In my old country, I was very tall.

Perhaps it's a product of too much inbreeding with the Dutch. Tall people have babies with tall people and you get tall children. Over the course of time, they are amazingly tall.

When I was in high school, there was a very tall family at our church. The boy, who was my age, was also named Philip. He was a very tall, but not disproportionate kid. His younger sister was a little too tall for the norm. I know she felt out of place, especially with the very red hair the whole family had.

Philip's older sister, though? She was amazingly tall. She was like 6'6". Plus, she wasn't that attractive. She was into basketball, which gave her a reason to get attention beside the fact that she was a giant, lanky girl of 18. Apparently the whole family had problems with their knees as well.

It's people like her that I would like to check back in on 25 years later. Did she find a guy? Maybe she was a lesbian. Did she have babies? Did she marry a guy who was a lot shorter? Seems to me that it would be the "responsible" thing to do. However, it does smack of genetic engineering. Like why not marry a guy who she enjoys being around? If the very tall kid thing is an issue, there are options.

Anyway, these kids are so amazingly tall that it's almost disturbing. I'm very happy with my height. My friend, Ross, was very tall in high school. He was approached by the basketball coach to join the team.

"What did you say?" I asked Ross.

"I said, No!" He replied.

I was jealous of Ross. To be approached to join the basketball team? I would have totally considered it. I always had a fantasy of being accepted by that type of guy - of being tough.

I should write about some of the rejects I see here. The different types of kids in the classes. I tell you, that sort of thing crosses all boundaries. Every type of kid you knew in high school is here. They don't have cheerleaders, but they have that "type" of girl, although she is a little more toned down.

posted by Philip @ 11:54 AM