On being 81 inches tall

Bryce notices stares from employees who are amazed at his height. It makes him feel uncomfortable. He would like to turn around and catch those watchful eyes. Their gaze of awe would quickly turn to surprise and astonishment. They have been caught before. Peripheral vision and excellent hearing have helped Bryce catch many of these gawkers. Those people let there physical and audible expressions of astonishment leak out too soon. In the corner of his vision Bryce sees a head turn, two beady eyes, and a cupped mouth. If Bryce doesn’t see this, he hears what comes from the shielded mouth: “He is so tall” or “Look at how tall he is” or “He is a giant”.

When Bryce hears these things he keeps on walking, working, and doing whatever he is doing, but that doesn’t stop him from asking himself, “How has being tall affected him?” He realizes that he will never know if he would have been any different if all those eyes, comments, and ridiculously bad tall jokes weren’t there. Every stranger becomes a comedian when they see Bryce.

Returning to Bryce’s place of employment we see that he is definitely not at home behind the counter. Countertops, buttons, lids, and ingredients are all placed at a level for people a foot shorter than him. We think this has to be a very tough adjustment for Bryce. Bryce knows people think this about him when he is in a confined area, but they don’t realize that years of spaces, such as the area behind the counter, have made a rut in his lifestyle. Bryce has to constantly conform to cars, planes, seats, and a great many more things that are designed for the smaller man. Early enough in life Bryce knew that if he didn’t make himself impermeable to the effects of the smaller place he would suffer greatly. He sees the uncomfortable concoction as a mere obstacle on the path to living a joyful life as a very tall person. And since his legs are so long he can, if he decides to, step right over that obstacle and keep on walking.