#height issues

So my cripple ass has had a pair of smart crutches for about a year now. They’ve gotten pretty worn down so I was like hey it would be nice to get a replacement. I also happen to be 4’9”. Which means most crutches from places like walk easy, cool crutches etc arent height accesible. Which means I can’t get those without doing damage to my body.

So I go online and do the mobility aid hunt for forearm crutches. I find ergobaun crutches and they have a junior option. They have a closed cuff, they are size accesible on their website, they have a little knee rest tjing etc. I ordered them and I had to wait months to even save up for them and I was super excited. It was gonna be so nice to have an easier time standing, to not drop my crutches all the time.

BUT NO THEY DID FALSE ADVERTISING. THEY SAID THEY WERE HEIGHT ACCESIBLE AND THEY WERENT. I had to lean down and bend my back even at the lowest peg. They also have a really strict policy on returns. I’m so fucking sad and pissed right now. False advertising is crap as it is, but doing that FOR MOBILITY AIDS? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? Jesus fucking Christ.

I just wanted to share a brand recommendation for short guys. For reference I’m 5 2” and most men’s clothes are so long on me I feel like I’m playing dress up if I don’t crop them. I tend to tuck the waistbands of my sweatshirts under to make them fit better but these tricks only work with certain types of clothes.

Now I can’t speak for pants but I own two tops from Marine Layer (a hoodie and a windbreaker) and I’ve tried on another sweatshirt at a store and they all fit incredibly. The hem length is pretty short and the chest width is wider per size so especially good for other trans guys who want to hide their chest a bit without wearing something massively oversized.

So anyway I highly recommend fit wise for anyone who finds men’s shirts/hoodies too long.

Also, this is not a cheap brand and the only way I can afford it is second hand so I recommend that if you’re in a similar position. New hoodies go for like $100-$130 and the two windbreakers I see on their site now are like $170-$190. Some of the used stuff is still too expensive for me but if you’re interested and keep an eye out you can find really good deals. They’re also very good quality and very comfy.

I was thinking about Kaz and his cane tonight, as a cane user with no small amount of experience. In canon, Kaz breaks his leg at 14, and shortly thereafter has the infamous crow head cane made by a Fabrikator. In the intervening years, he's surely gained some inches in height. The cane is an important part of him and his life. Not only is it his mobility aid, it is an integral part of his reputation. So a few things could have happened...

He has the cane altered by a Fabrikator several times to correct its height in relation to his. As he grows in height, he's also growing in reputation, and funds. He should have the kruge.

The original cane doesn't get extended, and he ends up with an issue in that shoulder until he realizes he really needs to solve the issue. He gets the cane fixed.

He gets an additional cane at the correct height every so often, hiding the old extras somewhere in the attic or some other stash spot in case he needs them in a pinch. (As someone with multiple canes, having a back up is SO useful.)

Regardless of which of these options, Kaz would be likely to have some issues with the cane using shoulder and wrist regardless, because not having a static height would cause issues along the way, until he reaches his final adult height. He might end up with that shoulder lower or higher, depending on how he uses his cane and its height. He will likely end up with arthritis in that shoulder and possibly that wrist later in life as well. Also, his 'good' leg is going to develop issues from over compensating. I've been thinking about incorporating the various issues that come up with long term cane use into some later story.

Every time I see a post on here about height, it’s always a) tall people mocking short people, b) short people mocking tall people, c) short people complaining about being short. In RL, I don’t see much of the first two, but as someone who is 5′9″ you had better believe I see a lot of the last.

So.

I just want to get something out here.

I like my height - don’t get me wrong - but there are advantages to being short, there really are.

You have to get on a stool to reach a high shelf? I have to get down on my actual knees to get something out of the bottom cupboard. We’re even.

I can see over a crowd? That’s nice. That means when I’m in a crowd with my 5′3″ friend I can see her darting away ahead of me, dodging through all of the spaces opening up directly in front of her that I can’t see ‘cause I’m looking at people’s heads. But hey, at least I can see where I’m headed so I can catch up! ....eventually.

I worked in the food court at my work for awhile and was easily the tallest person by a good stretch. There was one shelf that was too high for everyone else, and they made ‘yeah, yeah, rub it in!’ noises every time I grabbed something off that shelf for them. They also made “OH SHIT ARE YOU OKAY?!?!” noises every time I misjudged where the stupid shelf was and nearly cracked my skull open on it. Due to the placement of the shelf and the fact we worked in a busy, crowded environment, this was a semi-regular occurrence.

Outside of my cousin - who took after her 4′ mother - I am the second shortest of my family. Not only does my 6′2″ father have trouble finding clothes outside of a specialty shop (for some reason? 6′2″ is not super huge...), but I have, on more than one occasion, seen him nearly take his eye out on the resistant mechanical-elbow type thingies on doors. You know, the ones that make them shut slow?

And I point this out to the short people who are complaining and generally get blown off. I actually had one 4′ coworker reply with “I’ve hit my head on plenty of playhouses!”

DUDE I HAVEN’T EVEN BEEN ABLE TO FIT IN A PLAYHOUSE SINCE I WAS TWELVE! I LOVED PLAYHOUSES!! WHICH ONE OF US IS RUBBING IT IN?!?!

But hey, I can reach the top shelf, and I’m not going to lie - it’s nice. And that’s kinda the point.

I don’t care how many feet + inches you are, your height has advantages. Your height has disadvantages. Maybe you’d be happier with it if you’d look at the things it makes easier for you rather than always focusing on the things that are harder?

N - “I try to keep as far away as possible from...him.”

E - “His other form is tiny.”

N - “Shut up.”

E - “He’s shorter than Blueberry.”

N - “And, right now, I’m the tallest here. So, be careful with what you say, short stuff.”

E - “...I’ll be calling you that the next time you let your oil disappear.”

Long ago-

Dick: You're so short Jason!

Jason: That's not fair! You're older!

Dick: Not my fault you're a shorty.

Jason: When I'm grown up I'm going to be taller than you!

Dick: As if that's never gonna happen!

A year later-

Dick: It's my fault! I said he'd never grow up. (sobbing)

Bruce: It's not your fault. It's mine.

Dick: But I told him he was never going to grow tall and he will never grow now.

Much Later-

Jason: See me now Nightwing!

Dick: Go away Jason. (sulking)

Jason: To think you thought I'd never outgrow you. (tutting)

Dick: Well, at least we know that Tim and Damian will be dwarfs for a while. (smirking evilly)