Five Things That I Hate and That I Love About My Long Legs

Written by Marie-Claude Larouche

For starters, I’m not writing this to complain, but rather to make you understand how women like me feel, with permanent stilts in place of legs.

As long as I can remember, I have always been the tallest. In class, at the gym, at work, at the theatre, in a crowd, at the grocery store—pretty much everywhere, basically. When I come across a woman that has about my shape and size, I can’t help but wonder if that’s what I look like to the world below 😉 Sometimes I worry that I might be scary hahaha! That brings me to point number 1.

1. ANNOYING THE PEOPLE AROUND ME

I get by most of the time. I make sure I don’t sit in front of a little kid at the theatre. My solution: reserving seats in the back row. That way, you’re not bothering anyone and there’s nobody kicking in your seat or throwing pieces of popcorn in your hair.

However, when I go to a concert, that’s a whole other deal. When your belly button is higher than everyone else there, YOU’RE A NUISANCE! I have been insulted, have had people whispering in my back—yet strangely long-legged men, for their part, get respected. It’s not because I’m a woman that I can’t make the most of my assets like the handsome young man standing beside me, who, to be honest, is probably your boyfriend.

While I’m at it, I have a message for you all: when I go to a show, I have paid the same price as everyone else and I have the right to stand at the same spot as everyone else. Being a bother has always affected me, but edging into my thirties has made me confident about the woman I have become and helps me stand TALL.

2. HIGH HEELS

I looooove shoes. Running shoes as much as stilettos. It’s only recently that I have stopped checking the height of the heels when I shop. They’re all so gorgeous! But high heels also mean an extra 4 inches. Luckily, my boyfriend is 6 feet tall. So on the nights when we want to dress up and hit the town, we don’t look too mismatched. 😛 Once again, it’s all a question of confidence. It’s not because you’re tall enough to eat the leaves straight off the branches that you can’t wear Louboutin! You go girl, stand tall and proud! As Dad used to say: “Stand up straight. You’re tall and beautiful, my daughter”.

3. THE PAIN

If you’re tall, you probably had a faster growth spurt than most. That was my case, anyway. I have patellofemoral pain syndrome. I know, it’s quite a mouthful. In short, the cushion right under my kneecap, which protects from friction with the femur, is completely worn. Actually, it doesn’t do its job properly anymore. So when I stand for long periods on end, it’s quite painful. I get a throbbing and burning sensation. Remember when in a previous text I told you about the Jacynthe products? They created a draining oil. It works wonders for legs in distress. Tested and approved by me, Marie. Anyhow, it’s not because I have the knees of a dinosaur that I have to stop running and standing!

4. FINDING CLOTHES

My god! The worst thing for a giraffe like me is finding pants to cover up my long legs (insert discouraged face here). Yeah, yeah, I’m a fine connoisseur of pants that aren’t quite long enough. On top of not looking good, for a long time ¾ pants weren’t in fashion. And with long legs also come arms that go down to the knees. For the arms, I still haven’t found a company that makes longer sleeves. So shopping for coats is really hard, I’ve given up on jeans jackets and don’t even get me started on button-down shirts!

However, in the pants department, I’ve been purchasing them online for the past few years, at American Eagle to be precise. They have an XXLONG size in almost every model. It’s incredible! For me anyway, it’s an absolute miracle. They are great quality and fit really well. Just because you look like a lamppost, doesn’t mean you can’t dress to impress! ;p

5. MAKING PEOPLE HAPPY

It feels so good to make people happy and having a crotch 4 feet off the ground comes in handy in many cases. When you need me to reach the box up on top of the cupboard, it makes my day. If I can save you from hiking 1 km to go get the stepladder in the shed, why not! To the little old lady in the grocery store eyeing the box of baking powder (because yes, the baking powder is always on the top shelf), well my dear lady, it was my pleasure to help you make the cookies you’re baking for your grandchildren come to life. Just know that if you need help and you see me walking from afar—you can’t miss me, I’m a head taller than just about everyone and everything—it will be my pleasure to come to your rescue with my extra few inches. Even if my name is Gulliver, you shouldn’t be afraid of me. There isn’t a friendlier giant in town than me! 😉

We have to keep in mind that we are all different, that we all live different lives, and that the respect we show for others is the starting point for the love we have for ourselves.

Take pride in who you are!

Marie, full-time mum and girlfriend

This post was translated from French to English by: