October: Dwarfism Awareness Month - Little Mama of Faith

Dwarfism 101 – Think!

October is National Dwarfism Awareness Month. So here goes…

In case you didn’t notice, I’m only 4’1”. Yes, I’m a little person. Haha. I joke about it, but many of my family and friends say they forget about my dwarfism. And to be honest, I often do, as well. I don’t picture myself smaller until I’m faced with the reality of the size difference when I see myself with others in photos or reflected in a mirror. I guess in my head, I’m average height.
But anyway…I digress. 😊

As I ponder what to share for dwarfism awareness, a few things come to mind:

— Why are some people so comfortable laughing as I (or other little people) walk by? A glance, a second look, or a brief reaction are fine. I totally get that. When I see something/someone different than I’ve ever seen, I may do the same. But there’s a point where it becomes rude, and the gawkers need to consider that we can probably see you, and it may feel hurtful or offensive to us.

— What about strangers taking our pictures? I mean, would it be acceptable to photograph people in other categories (color, weight, etc.)? No, I doubt it. Are they snapping the photos of little people strangers to share and get a good laugh with their friends? Again, we can probably see them not-so-slyly taking the pics, and I wonder how they would feel if others took their photos for similar or who-knows-what purposes?

— And although some little people are okay with dwarf tossing, I personally think it’s so demeaning and inconsiderate of the possible physical and emotional damage it could do to the person being tossed. Why is that even a sport? I guess I’ll never understand why watching people used as bowling balls, tossed into mattresses, or thrown onto Velcro walls is a form of entertainment. Those are real people with names, personalities, feelings, and families.
I haven’t dealt with a lot of bullying, teasing or discrimination, but I have friends who have, and the emotional and physical toll can be heavy. It still surprises me that with such diversity in our country and with the wealth of knowledge on the internet, some people are still so thoughtless about treating little people appropriately. I would want them to stop and try to put themselves in our shoes and think before they react. I hope they would remember that a little person is a person…a real live person with a name and feelings.

Thanks for reading!
Terri