Imagine jumping on to your kitchen counter every time you
need something from the cupboards. Imagine standing on a step stool every time
you need that sweatshirt from your top shelf. Imagine not finding jeans that
fit properly. Imagine never being able to see the hood of your car while
driving.
Welcome to my life.
Oppression can be something very serious, or in my case,
very simple and not so serious. However, it has still made a big impact on my
life.
Growing up I was always the smallest person in my class,
which made for my fair share of bullying. Kids picked on me all the time
because I was so short. My classmates would grab my things and lift them up
high so I couldn't reach them and then they would laugh in my face. In
elementary school I spent a lot of time wishing I would magically get a huge
growth spurt over night.
When middle school came, kids made fun of me because my
clothes never fit; they were always too big. My jeans would drag on the floor
and my t-shirts would hang far too low. To middle school kids, this was
hilarious. I was an easy target to be made fun of…and we all know how much
middle school students like to make fun of their classmates. The “popular”
girls told me I should only like boys who were short (so, like, two boys)
because the tall boys didn't like short girls. Looking back on this now it seems quite hysterical, but at the time I was heartbroken.
In high school I learned to accept my shortness, and most
other people did too. We all matured and got over it once we entered the big
leagues. Of course, I still couldn't reach things, which caused a great deal of
struggle when I started to drive. I had to learn how to judge the length of the
car and adjust my seat so I can reach the pedals without being too close to the
steering wheel.
The struggle to reach things is still evident in my life
today and will be for the rest of my life. The only difference is I've learned
how to deal with and accept it. I've found a store that sells jeans that fit me as best as possible;
I have step stools in my apartment that I’m used to using regularly; I've
memorized the length of my car. I still experience oppression; I've just
learned how to overcome it.
When people talk about privilege or oppression, they are often taking about some big social issue. This is a perfect example of a small one. I think an oppression could be simply defined as anything that causes you stress on a daily basis for something that you can't control. Your example is a good one to get people to put themselves into someone else's shoes. People may be struggling and those around them may never really notice. I think its interesting what some people will choose to focus on and what motivates people and society to need to oppress and feel superior to others.
ReplyDeleteI sympathize with you and dealing with shortness. I too was also the shortest throughout my entire life, the only ones I found to be taller than were my Hmong friends but only by an inch or so. It is great that you overcame your oppression about being short but I think it can also be seen as a privilege, just think, people at our height never have to duck or worry about hitting our heads:)
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