Don't Call Me Cute: A Short Woman's Plea

Back when I started school, I was so tiny that even the smallest off-the-rack uniform had me resembling Tom Hanks at the end of Big, all trailing cuffs and quarterback shoulders. "Look how CUTE you are!" friends shriek when I show them my kindergarten class photo. "LOOK AT YOUR TEENY FEET!" In the photo, my feet — admittedly teeny — dangle miles above the floor. Even I can see I’m adorable. The trouble is, not much has changed. I’m 31 now, and 5-foot-1. In the U.K., where I live, the...