With my Dad and brother both six feet two, I naturally grew up thinking all men were tall. When I reached my full height of 5’6” in seventh grade, I suddenly found myself looking down at the greasy and dandruff-ridden hair of boys the same age, one of whom I unhappily assumed would be Mr. Right. During the summer between 7th and 8th something bizarre (even more bizarre than having your first period,
if that’s possible) happened. Boys that were five feet tall standing on their tippy toes in June now had to duck their heads going in the cafeteria door in September. So once again, men were tall and women were not.
Having sampled the intellect of the tall local boys, one of whom told me Shakespeare was a brand of fishing reel (which it is), but definitely was
not a person. Boys were fun to look up at but easy to look down on. A chance encounter brought my future husband into my life at age 22, and you can guess the rest. A small, but very smart guy, but big on making me laugh, especially at myself.
Tina Fey and husband, Jeff Richmond
