Hello, I’m Tom, we’ve probably met.

If you’ve met me, you’ve probably noticed I’m very tall, extremely so. In fact it tend to dominate conversation when I first meet people, so I’ve decided to provide a FAQ. Now next time someone asks me I can just give them the URL:

Q: How tall are you?

A: Six feet five inches, or one hundred ninety eight centimetres.

Q: How did you get to be so tall?

A: “I ate my greens.”

I get this one a lot, I can only imagine it’s people speaking without really thinking it through, because there isn’t really any way I can explain it. At least not without complex genetic analysis. So I usually tell them (especially if they’re young children) that I ae my greens. Or drank a lot of milk, it’s simpler that way.

Q: Are you parents tall?

A: Not really, no, my dad is just under six foot, my mom is fairly tall for a woman, but my ister is tall.

Q: Were you always this tall?

I was always very tall for my age, although I went through spurts and lulls the same as everyone else. When I was younger I was a lot skinnier though, so I was beanpole tall, rather than rugby player tall like I am now.

Q: What’s it like being so tall?

This is a fairly open question, but I get asked it a lot. Seeing as I don’t really have a frame of reference I don’t really know how to respond, but for now I’ll just give you a few insights.

1: Low hanging lights are to be feared and respected.

2: Buying clothes is more about finding ones that fit than ones you like.

3: There are a number of sports you are immediatly considered an asset when playing (Rugby, Basketball, American Football, Real Football)

4: But you’re only marginally more likely to be good than anyone else.

5: You sense of balance will suck (high centre of gravity).

6: Not all doors are built with you in mind.

7: Houses with high ceilings are to be cherished.

8: Your weight will be comparable with shorter people who are overwweight or even obese. Try not to worry about it.

9: You will frequently be asked to get things off high shelves or change light bulbs by small people. Consider turning the tables by asking them to do anything that involves reaching into tight spaces (changing wires behind the TV, etc)

10: Everyone will remember you, even if they’ve only met you once or twice.

That’s all I can think of right away, but if you have any more feel free to ask them in the comments and I’ll answer as best I can.