Hi, welcome to my first blog post. My name is Tanasha and apparently I’m really tall. So I’ve been told, at least once a week, for as long as I can remember, by complete strangers, who can’t seem to fight that urge, to let me know, that they know, I’m really tall…Shaking my head and laughing out loud. Many people have stopped me and proclaimed, “Wow! You’re really tall!” That statement is then normally followed by …..(drum roll, please) you guessed it, “How tall are you?” I always smile and answer politely, “6’4″ tall.” The next series of questions depend greatly on my mood when I wake up that morning, which usually corresponds with how I look and what I’m wearing. Oh and my weight of course! (I’ve worn from a size 4 to a size 14 and everything in between).
If I look particularly glam that day I get asked, “Are you a model?” or if I’m not so (ahem) cute or dressed kind of sporty, I get asked the proverbial, “Do you play basketball?” The preceding model question I always answer the same, “No.” Although in my younger days I was approached a few times to do several “modeling” related ventures, I was always just too shy to pursue or follow through with them. In regards to basketball, my answer is not always the same. Why, you may ask. I have no idea. I was speaking to my husband about ideas for my blog and I told him that my first post was going to be titled, “No, I don’t play basketball!” But he “gently” pointed out, “that was not what I told the Sgt. Major.” I remembered the conversation he was speaking of. I told the Sgt. Major I would win playing my husband in basketball. 😉 Side note: My husband is in the Army and 6’4″ tall and always tells me stories of his basketball skills back in the day. We’ve never played together or against each other…lol After he brought this to my attention I realized that I answer this question sometimes yes and sometimes no but I normally respond with the truth. I played basketball in high school and I disliked it very much. I wasn’t aggressive or athletic. I hated running and I used to quit the team every other week. I only played to hang out with my friends.
Remembering another encounter a very long time ago when the WNBA was first starting, a guy asked me if I played basketball and I said yes and my sister jokingly said yes she plays in the WNBA. The guy was like no way and I went along with it and was like “yes way, I do.” He then asked what team I played for and I quickly announced with no hesitation and all the confidence in the world, the L. A. Galaxy! He stopped and looked at me and said that’s a soccer team….lol I was so embarrassed, we all started laughing. For the life of me I did not know the team was the Los Angeles Sparks. Yes I know shame on me, but I promise I know now and even some of the players names. But looking back it was a fond and funny memory, a moment that my sister and I still get a good laugh over to this day. It is definitely one of our top ten “remember when” moments. Come to think of it, if I had blown the guy off or he fought that urge to acknowledge my height, I would not have had such a lasting memory of that day with my sister.
So who knows, maybe its a realization that it doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it did, to get stopped and told that I am tall or maybe I’ve just gotten used to it. One day I may even rock a T-shirt that reads, “Wow!” , on the front and then, “I’m really tall!” on the back…..Hmmm…I wonder 😉
Thank you so much for reading!
20 Comments
Angela 'Go Cheifs' Munson
Love this TJ! I think you should get that shirt made! Except then people will want to take pictures with you! 😉 And….I’m glad you know you weren’t good at basketball 😉
Pretty Tall Style
hehe…I know! Thanks Angela 🙂
Kia
love it tanasha !!!!!
Pretty Tall Style
Thank You Diva!
Emma
You’re more patient than me! I used to be nice to people, but my go-to response now is sarcasm at best… I try so hard to be nice about it, but boy are people stupid. My favourite response now is to ask people, would they have pointed out my weight if I was really heavy? I guess not, cos that would be RUDE! And I’m ‘only’ 6’0, so good on you for being so nice!
Pretty Tall Style
Thank you Emma! Yes sometimes people just don’t get it! But I have to say that for the most part people have always been nice about it. They usually say they wish thy were taller or could borrow a few inches…lol Now for those who are “ignorant” I give them a look and roll my eyes. I totally agree with you abut the weight thing. Thank you for reading and commenting. 🙂
Kay
I agree you should totally get that shirt made! LOL. Love the pics. Hey I have a better idea, get one with your blog name on the back. Free advertisment.
Pretty Tall Style
Great idea Kay! branding…lol
The Junoesque
It serves as a good reminder to be told I’m tall because sometimes I forget…lol
Pretty Tall Style
lol…thanks for reading 🙂
Francine
I would love one of those t-shirts! I get stopped asked those questions on a weekly basis and I am only 6’1″.
Pretty Tall Style
Haha Francine if I make them I’ll send one to you. 🙂 Nice to have people who understand. Thank you for reading!
Beth
I so enjoyed you sharing your passion for our high school basketball days! I really got a belly laugh on this one!
More than your height, it always stood out in my mind what a gentle, sweet person you were. Your outward beauty is definite reflection of your inner soul. You are definitely getting the last laugh! Hugs!
Pretty Tall Style
Awe thank you so much Beth! xoxo
Lesa
Hi there, I am 6’1″ and my beautiful 16 year old daughter is just over 6″ and still growing. We constantly get asked all of those questions and more ….
As for the T-shirts – check out http://www.ilovemyheight.com – a fantstic range of subtle (and not so subtle) sloganned t-shirts for the vertically gifted. we have already been stopped a few times with the “No … I dont play basketball” and the “100% organically tall” shirts that we proudly wear.
All women are awesome … tall ones are just a little more so. 🙂
Lesa
Pretty Tall Style
Hi Lesa, Thank you for reading and sharing the T-shirt info. I love your closing phrase. I hope you will continue to follow. 🙂
Kenya McQueen
I remember we even tried get you on the dance team, lol. You were too shy even for that! Women come in different shapes and sizes, and you love the skin you’re in…..#ThatIsAnAwesoneThing
Pretty Tall Style
Haha I remember! I was to shy but that was probably a good thing because I’m not a very good dancer anyway. 🙂 Thank you for reading and commenting Kenya 🙂
Maja
Dear Tanasha, Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I can recognise every word your write. I am from the cold Scandinavia, where we have a tradition for being very tall. You know Vikings and all. But still I can get from mildly annoyed to deeply irritated depending on my mood. I am 1.92 meters – I guess around your height and also get the ‘wauw your tall’… ‘how tall are you’… to the more deep – ‘how is it being so tall’. Me – Do you mind?
Once I was out with one of my friends and this guy kept commenting on my height. At the end, my friend got so annoyed with him, that she said ‘and you just can’t imagine, what she can do with those long legs’. You should have seen the expression on his face… My friend and I had a great laugh 🙂
Please share some more. Great inspiration especially when it is a bit hard, always being the tallest one…
Greetings, Maja
Pretty Tall Style
Hi Maja! Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment. I will continue to share my stories and “tall encounters” I hope you continue to follow. The comment made by your friend made me laugh as well. That was a good one and I can only imagine the look on the guys…lol Keep your head up Maja. I know sometimes being so very tall can be hard because of others ignorance. Just know that you are not alone and your height, our height is a blessing. I look forward to hearing from you again on other post. 🙂