If you know another junior boy with as high a voice and as short as me, raise your hand. I'm guessing no one will. For years this bothered me. I was always shorter than most, but we were all little kids anyway, and it didn't matter so much. But then came junior high, and while most physically matured and stopped being little boys over night, I stayed behind. And stayed behind. To this day, I have yet to look older than 12.
Because of this, I struggled. I kept thinking that any day, I would grow up. I planned on it happening two summers ago. It didn't. My frustration increased. I planned on it last summer. Ditto. What I ended up realizing was that this was controlling my life. It became an excuse for everything: "I'll be more responsible when I grow up," and "I'll run faster when I have an adult-sized body." This slowed me down a lot in life.
Finally, only at the end of this summer, have I determined to not worry about it. I know I'll grow up, and when I do, I do. I'm not going to obsess over it or worry any more. It used to bother me when people stared as I was driving, working at the shoe store or just when I told them how old I was. Now it doesn't even faze me. I simply carry on with my life and pretend that I am greater than or equal to any other kid my age, in every facet of being.
