Warning: Women in heels may be shorter than they appear

Let's face facts, people. A towering giant I am not. I'd love to go for willowy, but the most polite way to describe me is "petite." (Which brings to mind wee cute women, a category I most definitely do not fit into. "Fighting midget," however, suits me well.) Bygones. I was describing my recent Gap nightmare to my co-workers today (you know, the one wherein you pick up the "ankle" length jeans because you just know that "regular" isn't going to cut it today, and then the fucking short jeans are still too long for you), when my co-worker turns to me with a puzzled look and asks, "How tall are you? Because I would have said 5'7." God bless her heart. I think we should all mark the day that someone thought my clinging-to-5'4-with-both-hands body was a real height. And I'll send a personal thank you to the Payless gods that made the surprisingly comfortable boots with the 3-inch heel.