An early thank you and one more question...:)

[Guest guest]

I want to say thank you to all the people who have already responded

to my survey, the response has been great, and it is helping me tremendously.

I look forward to reading more responses as I need to have as many responses

as possible. I will try and thank each of you personally, but for now I just

wanted to post this brief word of thanks.

Also, I would like to ask how many people have been referred to as any of the

following: (Please keep in mind, this is not for debate but for statistical

purposes only!!!)

1. elf (in particular one of Santa's crew)

2. munchkin

3. Mini-me

4. Ewok

5. Oompa-Loompa

6. midget

how did you regard these labels? On a scale of 1-5 with

1= complimentary

3= did not feel a response

5=highly offensive

Fred and any other teachers: I would love to hear your intake on this,

especially regarding children's' initial perception when they first meet you

in the classroom setting. How did you overcome their preexisting perceptions

of your dwarfism? Did they even have any preexisting perceptions?

To those us who are in the entertainment industry, I would love to hear from

you as well. Please know that this is a research paper, it is not a paper

regarding judgments or opinions. However, since LP's are the focus of my

study, I would like to hear from as many diverse backgrounds as possible

THANK YOU AGAIN for all your input. Please remember to respond to me

privately per LISTSERV rules.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Always,

Rose Cunningham

[Guest guest]

I know we are supposed to reply to this request privately, but hell my ego

prevents me from not promulgating it to the list:-)))))

> 1. elf (in particular one of Santa's crew)

> 2. munchkin

> 3. Mini-me

> 4. Ewok

> 5. Oompa-Loompa

> 6. midget

>

> how did you regard these labels? On a scale of 1-5 with

>

> 1= complimentary

> 3= did not feel a response

> 5=highly offensive

Five on every single one. BUT, you asked two unrelated questions about

these 'labels'.

First:

" I would like to ask how many people have been referred to as any of the

following: "

but then you ask:

> " how did you regard these labels? On a scale of 1-5 with "

Personally, I see no reason for 'us' to be associated with ANY label. And

yes, I know I have just contradicted myself by, in effect, using 'us' as a

grouping word, which is the same as a label:-)

Labels are one of our biggest problems. All sections of society fit into a

label, but not many sections have labels as fluorescent as ours:-) " Dwarf "

is probably the biggest, and the greatest problem.

Over here (England) a famous comedian coined the phrase " Diddy Men " when he

used to feature a whole group of people, cartoonly illustrating our own

disproportional physique. Believe me, that man will rot in HELL! Whilst he

and his " Diddy Men " were in vogue, our (L.P's) lives were unbearable!

> Fred and any other teachers: I would love to hear your intake on this,

> especially regarding children's' initial perception when they first meet

you

> in the classroom setting. How did you overcome their preexisting

perceptions

> of your dwarfism? Did they even have any preexisting perceptions?

Initial perception ranges from fright great enough to cause an involuntary

bowel movement from them, to total acceptance of the facts before them.

In my case, the fact I taught in the same school for 22 years, made things a

lot easier, since obviously I was well known, and children coming into

school had sight of me long before that day.

However, my dwarfism was probably my greatest and strongest attribute to

both gaining the children's respect, empathy, and total lack of discipline

problems. God help any kid who said, or did, anything towards me, which my

class disliked:-) Similarly, they could never ever understand any child's

curiosity in me.

They (my class) knew I was a dwarf, knew I had limitations, and knew I

would answer any question they ever wished to ask. That also included them

being encouraged to be comfortable in referring to me as a dwarf.

Such was the 'relationship' I curried with them, that it was not unusual for

them to bring work to me to be marked, stand beside me while I did it, but

with their elbow on my shoulder:-)

I also made sure I 'trained' several of the taller children in wall

display:-)

I think though, to answer your question properly, I have to refer to

children who moved to our school part way through the year, were assigned to

my class, and saw me for the very first time, when the headmistress opened

my classroom door, and guided the child in. The look of surprise, shock etc

on that child's face, was always inwardly amusing to me:-)

Having said that, I could always tell from the look on the child's face, and

indeed, that of the parent accompanying the child, if my b**** of a boss had

explained the situation beforehand or not:-)

In such cases, I made sure I stayed back from the child. Never ever

approaching them immediately. I would focus my attention on the parent, and

the headmistress, but watching, out of the corner of my eye, the reaction

stages the child was going through.

Probably the worst time for that child, would be when the parent and

headmistress left my classroom, the door closed and the child realised

he/she was alone (apart from the other 36 kids) with me in the room, and had

to deal with me, one-to-one.

At that point, I had to employ one hell of a lot of child psychology, adopt

a very matter of fact persona, and use the rest of the class to help to

welcome the child in, and make the transition easier.

As the hours went by the child melted, relaxed and then would make the first

tentative approaches to me.

As the days went by, the difference was remarkable, and lovely to watch:-)

Oops, sorry, probably given you half your dissertation there:-)

Cheers and good luck. Just please, always bear in mind, no matter what you

write, what you say, or how you refer to the 'miniature' section of society,

that we are no different, have no need to be focussed in on, studies made or

any other action which would preclude us from the general mass of the

population.

And to underline this, I would ask you to look at the LPA web site, where

you will find a list of over a hundred people, who describe their

occupations. There is exactly the same spread, the same areas of

occupation, as you will find in the rest of society.

Cheers

Fred Short (Just imagine the look of shock on a parent's face, who has never

set eyes on me before, when her child says " There is Mr.Short. " :-)))))