Standing at 6 feet and 2 inches tall, I am, literally, a head above the rest: nine inches taller than the average height for females, and five inches taller than the average height for males. It is understandable, and natural, for people, upon seeing me, to react in astonishment, disbelief, to question the limits of creation in every possible way of expression: wide-eyed amazement, jaw-dropping amazement, and verbal amazament. Growing up, I've heard many different responses to my height. Below I've accumulated the top five:

5. "You are so tall!"

This is the initial, and most frequent, response. As a teen (I"m 20 now), I waited in anticipation for the first person to say it, ready to respond with an eye roll, find a corner, maybe even throw in sarcastic "Nah, really?" My response to this statement was a response of my own perception of myself. I did not like my height, and therefore I determined that other people did not like my height. If someone were to make such an exclamation to me today, and they will, probably upon me standing up from the chair I am currently in, I would respond with a loud and gracious "Thank you!" I take it as a compliment because I absolutely love being tall.

4. "Why are you so tall?"

Now, as a teen, I interpreted this question to mean that there was something wrong with me. Somehow, something had gone wrong and it was up to them to figure out exactly what happened. There were not many girls my height, an observation that lead to my own feelings of isolation, but what this meant was that people did not see girls standing at my height every day. Truly, this question was a testament to my own inherited individuality.

3. "I feel short."

I have stood next to a couple of rollercoasters, and skyscrapers and have felt tiny so I can relate to the feeling a person standing at 5 feet 2 inches may feel by standing next to me.

2. "Do you play Basketball?"

Unfortunately, I did not play Basketball growing up, and I always took this as a failure on my part. It was not something I was passionate about and so I did not pursue it. I have so many characteristics and skills I have put toward other passions because being tall is not all that I am, but I probably would have been great at it since, I've been told, all I would need to do is stand by the basket.

1. "Tall women are so beautiful."

And don't you forget it. Growing up, I regretted being being tal