I take off my clothes and all these ties

[sovay]

The physical therapist I am seeing for my back has now referred to me clinically as tall and middle-aged. I have no issue with my age, but I have always thought of myself as on the shorter side of medium height and anything else an illusion of the way I carry myself. My family made me look up the average AFAB height in the U.S. My mother has offered to get me a cardigan for being tall and middle-aged in. In high school she was devastated when she grew that quarter-inch taller than Mickey Rooney, because now he would never ask her to dance. She is not very sympathetic.

Comments

[lauradi7dw]

It gives you room to shrink. For most of my life my mother was talker than me. I caught up by the time she was eighty, maybe, because of her rate of shrinkage, then passed her. Now I'm down 1.5" from my peak. Working on my posture, though.

[sovay]

Working on my posture, though.

It's important no matter what.

(I understand the mechanics of why people shrink, but I still find it very weird to be around.)

[asakiyume]

I was going to mention shrinkage too! I was most surprised last year when I measured in at less than I was used to.

I thought of myself as ordinary height (at my tallest, I was 5' 6.5"), but when I was in Japan, I was exceedingly tall for AFAB and found myself needing to conjure up role models of tall-and-proud (rather than tall-and-wishing-to-be-smaller-and-cuter). I decided to carry myself like a Zulu princess.

If I can ask (I'm curious because of my brief stints doing PT for shoulders), does the PT involve exercises only, or do they do manipulations/massage/whatever as well?

[sovay]

but when I was in Japan, I was exceedingly tall for AFAB and found myself needing to conjure up role models of tall-and-proud (rather than tall-and-wishing-to-be-smaller-and-cuter).

I am glad you were able to!

If I can ask (I'm curious because of my brief stints doing PT for shoulders), does the PT involve exercises only, or do they do manipulations/massage/whatever as well?

So far it's almost all exercises. There was a little physical manipulation in terms of testing my range of stretch at the beginning, but otherwise I acquire more exercises (and take them home) by the week.

[asakiyume]

Thanks re: the PT--that makes sense but I guess I always wish therapists were able to work magic onto our bodies.