In an interesting article in the Spectator, a British writer tries to explain what he perceives as the difference between the public perception of height and actual stature. As a professionally trained tall woman, I have to confess that I find the whole height debate a bit confusing. Some years back when I was in my early twenties, I had a serious relationship with a very tall man from abroad who took some time before meeting me to acknowledge that he was indeed “six feet tall”.
But I had a definite impression that he was modest and very humble. There were times that I was actually quite worried that he might try to conceal his height by wearing slacks, shorts or a suit with a baggy top so as to “fit” into my work environment which could be very inappropriate for an intellectual professional in a profession like law or accountancy. So how could height or physical shape have any bearing on my professional life? I certainly did not think that being “six feet tall” automatically qualified me to be an accountant, lawyer, doctor or public servant. At work, I worked as an educational psychologist, which required long hours sitting in front of a computer for several days a week with little opportunity to get out and meet people. It was obvious to me that height and physique were irrelevant for this career.
In later years I lived in New York City and for several years was employed by the Museum of Modern Art as an assistant curator. My position was relatively relaxed compared to most museum assistants and I enjoyed the job immensely as I had a fantastic view of contemporary art but had no fears about being stared at by the curious tourists. The privilege of working in a modern museum was also a big bonus because I got to experience first hand the cultures and lifestyles of the wealthy and famous in New York City. The cultural climate is extremely diverse, so it’s difficult to generalize. Everyone has different experiences in this highly culturally diverse city. This is another valid point made by Caroline Lebar in her Spectator piece.