Before there was basketball

It's time for March Madness. And that got me thinking. . .

When someone's child is very tall it seems like a good thing. We think that they'll be good at basketball, or at least better than smaller kids. Tall people have an advantage on the court.

But it hasn't always been that way. Tall people used to be seen as freaks, oddities and weirdos. They stuck out. They didn't fit in.

Parents and doctors saw extreme height as a curse, not a blessing. They even gave children (especially girls) medication to stunt their growth.

(For a fascinating look at the pros and cons of being tall, and to learn about how we mistreat people who are unusual, check out The Tall Book by Arianne Cohen).

Being extraordinarily tall was perceived as a weakness, instead of a strength because there was no place for the person to use that height. It didn't give them an advantage; it was a disadvantage.

But all of that changed with the growth of basketball. Outrageously tall men and women are now valued much more than they were before. Their characteristic didn't change; the situation did.  

We can all learn a lesson from this. Just like height, there are many characteristics that we can't change. And we don't need to.

We just need to find our basketball or volleyball or swimming. We need to find the sport, job, hobby or situation that matches our unique characteristics.

I call this alignment. We need to find, or create, the right fit.

Do you want to learn more about how you can find the right fit?

Check out Chapter 5 of The Freak Factor. Now available in Paperback or on the Kindle.

You can also become a fan of The Freak Factor on Facebook.

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Parents and doctors saw extreme height as a curse, not a blessing. They even gave children (especially girls) medication to stunt their growth.

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all of that changed with the growth of basketball. Outrageously tall men and women are now valued much more than they were before. Their characteristic didn't change; the situation did.

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Being extraordinarily tall was perceived as a weakness, instead of a strength because there was no place for the person to use that height. It didn't give them an advantage; it was a disadvantage.