Tall Woman, Short Man

When I introduced myself, I was vaguely aware of my attraction to her. (She was new to the organization.) And when she stood up to shake my hand, it was obvious that she was much taller than I. A good four inches taller. We exchanged the usual pleasantries, and I went on with my day not expecting anything more from our initial meeting.

It wasn't very long before we ran into each other more and more and we spent much time talking. It became obvious that the attraction was mutual. And it didn't seem to be such a coincidence that her usual heels were replaced by flats.

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't bear the thought of dating someone who was taller. It just didn't feel right. After all, women wanted men who were taller than they. I didn't like the idea of having other people staring at us--the tall woman and the short man. The whole idea was too embarrassing.

From an evolutionary standpoint, it's clear why a woman would want a tall man. He would be her protector, provider and be genetically superior to the short guy. This traditional view of the couple is reinforced in both popular culture and media. Little girls read about being swept off their feet by knights in shining armor (who presumably stood more than six feet).

The only couples (where the woman is taller than the man) who are socially accepted seem to be those involving wealthy old geezers about to kick the bucket. For the most part, the majority of couplings fit the traditional view of the man standing tall over the woman.

After awhile, she got tired of waiting for me and I saw less of her. Eventually, we stopped speaking altogether.

Short people. Randy Newman was right.