My devoted, wonderful wife ordered me two pairs of brand new pants and I tried them on this morning.  For the first time in my life, they fit. Immediately.  Out of the box.  Cut right for me, a short guy.  Highly recommend: petermanningnyc.com

Very glad for you two guys, ThatFlyShortGuy, and HarryManiac, that you can say you're happy.  Glad indeed.   

You've all lived it: you're scrolling along on Facebook and one of your friends has posted a meme slamming short people.  For me this morning it was a triple whammy:  One post was "You've gotta hand it to short people...'cause they can't reach it."  Then came a photo posted by my high school classmate who was 6'6" and a basketball "hero": a basketball friend of his who is 6'9", and the comments like "WOW. I thought you were tall." and then a photo of my son and his high school chums from nine years ago, and all the gushing comments about one of his buddies who is also 6'9":  "Look at him, he's so tall...."   

So, here's the deal, guys:  Don't comment.  Just don't.  We can't say anything publicly without making it worse.  On a public forum like Facebook, silence is your biggest ally.  Here's why: Once you say something, everyone else feels compelled to jump in and it becomes a discussion that only make it worse.  You'll get trite comments from a well-meaning old woman like "Good things come in small packages." and you'll get slammed by big guys who just add insult to injury: "Just get over it, hunh? Stop whining."

So, if you feel insulted by something, here's my advice:  private message the friend who posted it and politely, firmly point out to them that you found it hurtful, not funny.  You might mention that it is socially unacceptable to tease people about being fat (which they can change if they try), but that short people, especially men, are still considered open game by others.  It's rude, hurtful, and totally unnecessary.  I did that once, and the friend deleted it and apologized saying that she had never thought about it that way.  We're still good friends.  I handled it privately in a calm, mature way.  That's our best choice.

Don't unfriend anyone. 

Don't take the bait. 

Don't return insult for insult.

Above all, don't let their boneheaded post ruin your day. Your good friends and family love you for who you are, what you do, and how you treat them. They respect you when you accomplish things in life, despite being short which puts you at a distinct disadvantage all the time.

And just keep scrolling.

CorporateGuy -Your praise of my posts really made my day. Thanks.  Yes, I always hope that my perspective helps younger guys deal with our shared challenge in life and be successful.  I appreciate your taking the time to comment.  

Hey, younger guys-- listen to this: my wife, my kids, my friends, my coworkers and professional associates never think about my height or talk about it in normal conversation. It's not an issue; it's a fact, like hair color.  To them, I just am who I am. They think about my personality, my words and deeds, my moral fiber, my character.  Yes, I can list off every single disadvantage and pain-in-the-neck moment that i have to live through, but to my loved ones, it's not an issue.  To the general public of strangers around me, it is.  The opinions of loved ones are based on my entire being; the general public sees only a short guy.  Loved ones matter; strangers don't. 

I have a friend who is 6'7".  An acquaintance.  I see him now and then.  He is 50 something and has never married, does not own a home, has no career, and really, has never done anything with his life.  When he was 25 he was THE hot guy-- because he was TALL.  He would give anything to have my life experiences and have a loving wife and kids and grandkids and have been on TV and radio like I have.  Young guys-- please keep that in mind.  When you are born destined to be short, you have a rock to climb. Climb it.  Darn it, climb it.  What you want is respect and admiration and friendship from people who matter.  You'll get that if you climb the rock.