Are you, like me, a formerly tall person?

 

This is my sixth-grade class picture. That's me in the top row, right side. I circled myself, but I probably didn't need to.

I could have just told you to look for the tall kid.

You see, for a time in early 1980s, I was a Tall Kid. I was one of those who shot up early. I went on to play center on my middle school basketball teams.

If you know me now, you will find that funny. 

In this photo I was something like 5 feet, 9 inches tall. Now, nearly 40 years later, I am 5-9 1/2. I was listed at 5-10 on our high school football roster, but I'm not sure I ever quite got there.

Yes, I just about peaked height-wise by middle school.

I reached my adult height in my very early teens, then that was it. I was done growing. Or at least I was done growing vertically. It just wasn't in the biological cards for me to ever hit 6 feet.

I passed this "get tall early and then stop" gene on to my children, all of whom have been tall for their ages. My sons are both about 6-1, which confuses me. If they didn't look like me, I would start to be suspicious as to their true lineage.

There are worse things in life, I suppose, but it took me a long time to stop thinking of myself as "tall."

Maybe I'll hit another growth spurt when I turn 52.

It could happen.