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By SARAH KEITH

YOUTH CORRESPONDENT

I tried masking it. Sitting up straight as a board. Pretending like I wasn't and everyone else just drank radioactive water that made them taller than me. I even used terms like "vertically challenged" to try to make myself feel better, but no more.

I knew there was no denying it when I bought the jeans that said "short" and they were 4 inches too long.

At the grand height of about 4 feet 10 inches, I admit it. I am short.

Some of you may be thinking, "Wait, she's in eighth grade--she'll grow." Well, folks, I've calculated it: My tallest height possible is 5 feet 1 inch, and I haven't grown since about fifth grade. So I'm guessing that I won't grow too much more.

Being short does have its advantages, though. Unless the taller people are really flexible, short people are infinitely better at "limbo." And we never have to worry about bumping our heads on decorations or chandeliers.

But along with the few perks come the jokes, which are funny, but get old. People who, on purpose, when you say their name look around without looking down, because your head is out of sight if they don't look down. Plus the people who make you jump to put things somewhere or get back your book, saying, "I'll give it back if you can reach my hand "

Even walking down the hallway is, to me, intimidating. A sea of taller people, ready to swallow me up, all moving at their own paces, all shoving. It's like being a bicyclist in a road full of SUVs. Not fun. I can't tell you the number of times I've gotten an elbow or shoulder in my eye.

And then, as with everything, there are the nicknames: shorty, shrimp, squirt, mini-me, munchkin (which is actually kind of funny when people dance around you singing the munchkin song) and plenty others.

So I've learned to hem my too-long short pants, buy sneakers with tall soles, and not to jump for anything but to ask someone to get it for me if it's on a higher shelf.

For you taller people, be nice to the people who are "height challenged," and don't use one of the above nicknames or jokes.

And for the people who are short, like me, it's OK. Being short is really OK.

SARAH KEITH is an eighth-grader at Freedom Middle School.