Why do people look down on me?

[Kimpini]

Alright, it's not all people but anyone who is older than me does.

I am a freshman in high school but I am only 5 foot. Whenever I talk to and older non-musician about being in a band, they just laugh. It goes like this (lets say the person who is looking down on me is named...Bob)

Bob: So you play bass?
Me: yeah I'm in a band.
Bob: oh really? Do you Jam? (snickers)
Me: Um yeah, we actually do
Bob: Do you gig? (snickers)
Me: Yes...


It always goes on like this and it makes me angry! Do people look down on you? I want to know I am not alone!!!

[Jeramaya]

Sorry to hear that. My best advice is to ignore that kind of crap. I have been the short, undersized guy my whole life. It sort of drove me harder to succeed for awhile, at least when I was younger, but now I find it only comes up amongst people who are still immature--you know, the 35-yr old fifth grader. If it's your size they laugh at, when they mature they'll get over it, and so will you.

[thumpbass1]

Hang in there Kimpini. You are very young ,and even as the nearly 52 year old dude that I am, I can remember some older students treating me and other freshmen like crap when I was your age. High school can be a little bit hellish when one is young and is subjected to the put downs and bullying of others. You aren't alone, I used to get hassled in my youth for wanting to play bass and being in a band with my high school buddies and sadly bullies still exsist and teens can be mean to other kids. I also used to get hassled for my long hair and not being from the richer class of kids that dominated my high school,etc.Things never change it seems.

The good news is that you will get older and the day will come to where you'll realize that the high school years aren't the sum of your life! Sadly for a lot of the popular kids and even the smug and mean ones they peak in high school and their adult lives aren't going to be anything to envy. For them high school is as good as it is going to get for them. If life has any sense of justice just wait for the future when you can go your 20th year class reunion. Karma can be scary!

Try to find good friends you feel comfortable with, and I hope you have some stable adult or adults you can trust and talk to. I was lucky as a kid to have a youth counselor
that mentored me when things got rough and crazy with things I just couldn't trust my parents to be able to help me with, or understand.

As for your music keep on playing. As for being short of stature, you seem to be a much bigger person than the jerks and idiots that are hassling you. These people are cowards to the core and I'll leave it that. I wish you the best. Not all older people are bad.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

High School is over before you realise it.

Dont let it get you down.

[funkalicious101]

In grade nine I was 4'11. I had been short my entire life (still am somewhat) and I've it taught me to that every single day you have to give 'em hell. And since your giving it, you have to take some aswell. This can be tricky, but never ever stop givin' em hell.

[RavynWolf]

Don't let it get to you. In grade 9 i was 5'2, and I was just learning bass. I got scoffed by the schools "Hottest" person who could play Fall Out Boy riffs, and be titled amazing. Now I am 6'5, can play bass better than anyone at my school (Not being cocky), and am the only boy to wear makeup

[bongomania]

The secret is to imagine stabbing them in the gut. It's very satisfying. They're standing there making snide comments, and inside you're thinking "I could pull out a fillet knife and gut you before you even realized what was happening."

Even to this day whenever somebody makes the mistake of insulting me, I just give a little laugh, secure in the knowledge that they are just vulnerable, fragile little things themselves, and it would take only one random moment to cripple them for life, or end them.

Note: there is a distinction between taking personal power from understanding how fragile they are, and actually stabbing them in the gut. I don't recommend the latter.

[Dave Muscato]

I'm 5'5". It happens. And to make matters worse, I have a bald spot!

I was gigging & teaching 20 hours/week when I was 16, dropped out of high school a year later to play pro. Don't worry about people like that. Just do your best to make connections with people, play your heart out, and enjoy life. It doesn't matter what other people think if they're just out to put you down.

[nsmar4211]

The things people make fun of you for are the things they are insecure about......about themselves

Either that or they are jealous.

Just laugh at them. They'll stop eventually. And......high school isn't the rest of the world (thank goodness.... ). That #1 jock? In 10 years he might be flipping burgers and reliving the "Glory Days".....and no one will care. No one (outside of high school and college admissions) cares what you did/do in high school once you're out of it......rest assured that you stick with playing and it won't matter soon.

Here's another hint: Don't talk to non musicians about being in a band unless you are inviting them to a show.....cause they just won't get it. Pounce on anyone that shows an interest in playing something though and get them taking lessons :0.

Hang in there! Short people don't whack their heads as much and it's much easier to hide in a crowd

[funkometer]

Get used to it. Being a musician aint all its cracked up to be,esp a bass player.

[hbarcat]

My brother is very short and when he played in my band many people treated him like he wasn't there because he's the size of a kid.

He's also a 3rd degree black belt and a martial arts instructor (which also means he has a great amount of self control and patience when putting up with jerks). But high school kids are notoriously idiotic about picking on each other and when you get out into the real world most people aren't like that.

[Son of Sanford]

Use your middle finger more.

[Peaved]

Why do people look down on me?

Because they are much taller?

[skaliwag66]

Originally Posted by RavynWolf

Don't let it get to you. In grade 9 i was 5'2, and I was just learning bass. I got scoffed by the schools "Hottest" person who could play Fall Out Boy riffs, and be titled amazing. Now I am 6'5, can play bass better than anyone at my school (Not being cocky), and am the only boy to wear makeup

wow talk about a growth spurt.

[sarcastro83]

Dude... so you're short. Big deal. Some of history's baddest mothers were short! Dudes like

Ghandi 5'3" - political leader
Napoleon 5'2" (allegedly) - military genuis
Beethoven 5'4" - composer
Glen Danzig 5'3" - musician (Dude, he fronted the Misfits... points)
Ronnie James Dio 5'4" - metal GOD (He invented the jackals...)
Yuri Gagarrin 5'2" - Soviet Cosmonaut and first man to make it into outer space
T.E. Lawrence 5'5" - as in Lawrence of freaking Arabia!!!
Mako 5'4" - late Japanese actor with one of the most recognizable voices ever. See Conan.
Pablo Picasso 5'4" - brilliant artist.

Dude... no shame in being short.

[Dave Muscato]

+1. Listen to the lyrics of "A Boy Named Sue."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M89c3hWx3RQ

[wld3]

The funny thing about high school is that, when you are in it, it is your world. When you are out, it was really nothing.

I think its sad to see some of the people that were popular in high school hanging on to 'glory days', etc. I'd hate to think that my life peaked at 17.

For me, I had a pretty good high school experience. Even so, high school is long in the rear-view mirror. A blip on the scope of life. Don't let it bother you. Be true to yourself and nothing else matters.