Most of the time, being short is not an advantage. But every once in a while, a situation comes up where being short is really helpful - like when you have to travel by airplane for long periods of time. Then being short is really an asset.
Most of the time, having RBF is not an advantage. But it turns out that when you have to go testify in court, RBF comes in handy! I found this out first-hand for myself in June when I had to testify as a witness in a criminal trial here in Turku, thanks to a crime I witnessed last fall. The whole experience (witnessing the crime and then having to appear in court in close proximity to the defendant) was unpleasant and I wish it had never happened. I have also wished that I could distance myself from it somehow so I could enjoy it on some level for the intense cultural and linguistic experience that it was, though. Maybe in a few years...? For now, I'm just glad it's over...and glad my RBF had my back.
On the morning of the court appearance, I put on my pointiest high heels, my slackiest slacks, and my blackest, most severe top. And I let that RBF settle in like a mask of protection. I didn't let it slip for a moment - not when the defendant walked into the waiting room, not during the questioning, and not when I had to walk up to the judge to hand him my little payment form (you get reimbursed for expenses when you are called to testify in court). RBF covered up all the fear and the nerves and the anxiety.
So I'm trying to be a little more grateful for RBF. Sometimes you need to look like a b**** who doesn't care what anyone thinks of her, who doesn't hand out unwarranted "sorry"s or even "sorry not sorry"s, and who probably has a whole posse of b****y friends who've got her back, so don't mess with her. It worked for me!
(I know this post leaves out a lot about the court experience, but this is about all I'm willing to share publicly right now.)
