I was always the shortest in the class, a fact made plain by the way my school skirt (the smallest they could find) had to be tied around my chest and still reached my ankles. In school photos I was always in the same spot, down the front and at the far right end. Something my mum extremely enjoyed as quote, she was "always able to find me". It got to the stage were the photographers let me sit there without checking if I'd grown, I offered a solitary nod and simply sat myself in the chair while everyone else compared heights in a frenzy of back to back motions.
I still remember the day it all changed. It was high-school, year 9, repeating a well formed ritual I made my way to the back of the line (lines had to be formed from tallest to shortest) for the photo. I stood there in a daze, pondering the word they'd make us smile with when I suddenly realised, I could see over the person in front of me. I stood there for a few more seconds attempting to blink away what I thought was a mirage, but sure enough, I was looking at someone smaller than me. Politely taping her on the shoulder I made my way in front... but their again I encountered the same strange phenomena. I stepped away from the line attempting to re-group and began to make my way further down. With each new girl came a boost to my confidence, it was a dream, surely I couldn't be taller than this many people.
As I walked on girls began to call out at me "Hey Lesley, where are you going? You should be at the back of the line!" but there taunts did no good, the facts were plain and after a quick back to back the news of my sudden growth spurt spread quickly down the line. "Hey can you believe, Lesley grew! No way, she can't be taller than me?" Finally I reached a point of commonality and sidled into the line behind a girl I knew. I felt a pat on the back and turned to see a smiling face a word of warm welcome.
I had made it, the fabled teenage growth spurt fairy had arrived over night and I was in!
I still have the photo tucked away in my room, my first foray into the third row, right in the center, the look on my face closely resembling the type of elation seen only on athletes after winning gold medals. The first time in my life that I felt I had really achieved something special, all I had to do now was loose my baby teeth, grow some boobs and I would be a real young lady, of course with my slow rate of the development I had to wait a while, but as they say.. all good things take time.
So - have any photos stories? or stories of Late development? As always I'd love to hear them! ^_^
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to all the mums out there!
