Touching The Ceiling: A Big Win For A Small Person

In life there are a few things that pretty much everyone has tried at least once, and touching the ceiling is one of those things. As a short person no matter how high you try and jump, the ceiling is always just out of reach. That's the case if you are in modern building anyway.

People weren't always as tall as they are today. Napoleon Bonaparte was actually average height for a man in the time that he lived in. The average height has changed over time, and the proof is in architecture. Older buildings have lower doorways, and ceilings because people were smaller and didn't need things to be as high.

My friend and I love to explore Ogden, Utah, and our favorite place is up and down Historic 25th street. We like to go towards the shady side of town, and 25th is the shadiest. The street used to be one giant brothel, because that's where the train let off, and all of the soldiers would head straight to the brothels as soon as they got off.

To make Ogden seem a little less shady, the brothel owners made a series of tunnels underneath the brothels to hide prostitutes when needed. The ceilings in the tunnels are just above my head, which as a short person makes me feel super excited, because I don't have to jump to touch the ceiling. All I had to do was raise my arm, and I was touching the ceiling.

Another one of my favorite places to go for old buildings is Salt Lake City, Utah. Mormon pioneers settled the area, and although they were average height for their time, they are short by today's standards. There is a building in Temple Square called the Joseph Smith Memorial building, and at Christmas time choirs from all over the state will come perform on the second floor.

I have performed there twice, and each time it was very different. The first time I was in ninth grade, and our teacher warned us a bout the low railing because the people who made it were shorter than we are today, but I didn't see what she was talking about until I went back a few years later, and the railing barely came up to my hips. Railings are designed to be around a person's center of gravity, which is usually just above the hip, so when it barely reaches it, you feel a little to tall to use the railing.

When I go into an older building, it feels like I stepped into an alternate universe where I am actually tall. I love going into older buildings for that reason. It's almost as if they were made for me, so I would feel like a normal sized person. If you are short and are looking to feel taller, just go find some old buildings to explore, and you will feel really tall, because everything will be a little lower.
#ShortStories #LittleWin #SmallBuildings #HistoryHelps
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