I had always been a bit of a picky person when it came to dating. I had a list of qualities that I wanted in a potential partner and I was determined to find someone who not only fit my criteria, but also made me happy.
One of my criteria was height.
I had never been particularly tall myself and had always found myself attracted to taller men. So when I met a colleague at work who was a good 15cm taller than me, I felt a spark of attraction.
We began flirting and I started to think that maybe this could be something more. But then I noticed something that put a stop to my optimism: he was shorter than my height requirement.
At first, I thought I could look past it. He was obviously attractive and had a great personality. But my height requirement was firm and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I would be settling if I gave him a chance. So I decided to reject him before things got too serious.
I was disappointed, but I figured it was the right thing to do. I didn’t want to get too attached and then have to break his heart if it didn’t work out. Little did I know, this decision would come back to haunt me.
A few months later, I met a guy who ticked all of my boxes. He was tall, attractive, and had a great personality. I was sure that this was it and I was finally going to meet my match.
But then he said something that made my heart sink. He told me he wasn’t interested because I was “too flat-chested.”
I was devastated. After all, I had rejected the shorter guy because I thought he wouldn’t match my criteria, and here I was getting rejected for something that I couldn’t control.
It was a harsh lesson to learn. I had been so caught up in my own criteria that I hadn’t stopped to think that someone else might have their own. I had judged him solely on his height and now someone had judged me for something I couldn’t control.
It was a harsh reminder that we can’t always control who we’re attracted to, and that trying to fit into someone else’s ideal can be a fruitless endeavor.
In the end, I learned to be more open-minded when it comes to dating. I stopped focusing so much on physical traits and instead looked for qualities in a person that would make them a good partner. I also stopped trying to impose my own criteria on others and instead tried to focus on getting to know them and seeing if there was a connection.
It’s been a few years since that experience, and I’ve been much happier with my dating life since. I’ve had relationships with people of all different heights, and I’ve learned to appreciate the beauty in everyone.