I, Head-bumper
Daily writing promptWhat is one word that describes you?
Tall.
I'm tall for India, around 6'3''. My height has recently been on my mind. India is not a good place for tall people. The public infrastructure is geared towards shorter people — the average Indian adult male and female are 5'5'' and 4'8'', respectively — and the lack of space is most pronounced for me when I travel in buses: if I stand, I almost always bump my head into the upper railing when it drives over a bump, and have to keep my legs at obtuse angles to the seat in front when I sit. Plus there are the various seating areas and ceilings in government offices, banks, and subways, various doorways, and the occasional loose cable dangling from a tree, which is a threat to everyone but to which I'm more easily exposed because to get to my head it needs to dangle less.
The issue got on my mind recently because I'd been shopping for shoes. The average Indian adults are at least 10' shorter, which means they have smaller feet as well, so most brands that sell shoes in India max out at size UK 10. I however have size UK 12 feet, with a wide toe box for added measure. Together with the availability of suitable designs (I prefer darker tones), that has more often than not meant Reebok for my floaters and ASICS for my shoes — neither of which is cheap. I used to take a loutish kind of pride in being able to intimidate some people in college with my height; I'm glad I've since given up that kind of thinking, and in small part because India reminds you that being taller in this country largely means you just bump your head more often.
My folks, of course, love the fact that I can reach for things they've stowed in the attic without needing a ladder.
