Some time ago Alice Gray wrote an article for the New York Times Magazine, in which she discusses the many different factors that influence a person’s age and stature. She discusses these factors and how many people perceive them to be larger or smaller than what they actually are. The interesting thing about her article is that she begins this discussion at about 26 years old, when many people believe that they are closer to their chronological age. And even though Alice Gray herself does not look older than most of her peers, she does express frustration with the perception that some people have of her because of her age difference. I thought it was interesting that she discusses the different factors that influence age and then offers a solution through an example of a young man who happens to be of the same Nationality as her.
For instance, some men believe that a woman of any nationality can be as beautiful as any other woman because all women are “good looking.” But the thing is that a man should not assume that just because she is of a certain Nationality that she cannot be beautiful. There are many great beauty queens from different Nationalities that are still admired by many men (and more so now that the Internet allows us to spread our wings and be exposed to the world) and who happen to be of the same Nationality as Alice. It is totally unfair for him to assume that because she is of a certain Nationality that she cannot also be beautiful. This is a very big assumption on his part and something that he should not make.
The other factor that she mentions in her article is that height is something that affects a woman’s appearance and that there are many reasons why someone might have a very small or large height. But it has nothing to do with her age or Nationality. It has everything to do with how tall she is…and how tall she will keep growing. It could be a genetic gift or it could be due to trauma that she has suffered. But one thing is for sure…her height does not impact upon her ability to be successful professionally in the field that she works in or even how attractive she is.