Julie’s Q&A

These are some common questions that people ask me. I thought you might want to know my answers. If you have a question that isn’t on this page, leave me a comment and I’d be happy to answer it. Enjoy!

Q. How tall are you? Will you ever get any taller?
A. At age 24, I am 3 feet tall. I’ve been this height since I was about 2 years old, and I will probably never get any taller.

Q. Are there other little people in your family?
A. No. I’m the only one in my entire family tree. My parents are both average height, and my older brother is 6 feet tall. It’s really fun to be the unique one in my family! A lot of the time, that’s the way it works. Many little people are born to average sized parents.

Q. Do you get offended when people ask you questions?
A. No, I don’t really get offended too easily. I know that the majority of the time, when people ask questions or make comments about my appearance, they aren’t intentionally being rude. Most of the time, people are just curious, and they want to understand why I look different. Since people are generally afraid of what they don’t understand, I like to be up front and open with them, and I usually don’t mind answering questions or explaining who I am. I especially like talking to kids, and teaching them not to be afraid of those who are different than they are. I love showing kids that even though I look different on the outside, I’m a real person–just like they are. I love answering questions, because I love my life and enjoy being unique! If someone is intentionally rude or mean spirited, I usually just try to smile and wave at them, and pray that God will heal whatever it is in their life that caused them to be so hateful and miserable.

Q. Is it hard being little?
A. To be honest, most of the time I don’t think about it that much. I live a pretty normal life, and don’t consider being little to be that big of a deal. But sometimes it does get frustrating when I can’t reach something, or when something happens to remind me that I am short. For the most part, though, I am very content with being an LP. (Little Person)

Q. Is all the furniture in your house little?
A. No. I live with my mom, so most of our stuff is average. I’ve learned to adapt too normal sized furniture for the most part. I do have a few small things, like the desk and chair in my office. My bedroom furniture is actually meant for kids, so it’s pretty small, but I still need a step stool to climb into my bed. I have lots of little step stools around the house, and we have a few light switches that we’ve installed down lower on the walls in certain rooms so I can turn on the lights. In my room, I have a remote control for my light which makes it very easy. In our backyard, we built a pool that has a really shallow end for me to swim in. It’s about a foot and a half deep.

Q. How do you find your clothes?
A. Going shopping with me can be pretty exhausting! It takes forever to find things that fit. Usually what we do is find things that will work, and then we have them altered. It can get pretty pricey, because sometimes it costs as much to alter the clothes as it does to buy them!

Q. What size shoe do you wear?
A. I wear a toddler size 12 or 13, depending on the shoe. It’s tough to find shoes that fit me, and then we have to find ones that don’t have Barbie or Disney characters on them!

Q. Have you been blind your whole life?
A. I was born with very bad vision, and I’ve gotten several different opinions from doctors over the years on what my vision problem really is. I have always been considered legally blind, and my vision isn’t correctable with contacts or glasses. As I was growing up, I could see well enough to read large print, and I could see a few feet in front of me pretty clearly. But, when I was 17, I got cataracts. I had surgery, but my vision got worse instead of better. Now I don’t really have much vision left at all, so I’ve learned how to use a cane and read Braille.

Q. What exactly can you see?
A. I don’t have any central vision, so when I look straight, I just see a bunch of blurriness. Sometimes I can see things if they are lined up in the right part of my eye. I don’t really have enough vision to depend on, and I can never see things clearly. I can’t see any details, such as people’s faces, the TV or computer screen, or pictures. I can see light, and sometimes too much light is hard on my eyes. I’ve never been able to see colors, but I can sometimes tell if something is lighter or darker than something else. And no, I can’t tell how many fingers you are holding up! Haha!

Q. Are all your other senses heightened because you can’t see?
A. Yes. I have an incredible sense of hearing, and I can hear things that no one else can. Don’t try to tell secrets when I’m around. My other senses are great, and I depend on all of them to help me function in my everyday life. I’d say the most important one to me is my sense of hearing, so I try not to go to too many loud concerts! I have to protect my precious ears!

Q. How long did it take you to learn Braille?
A. Learning Braille was a bit tricky for me, because I didn’t start until I was 17. Most blind kids start learning it when they are very young, and they learn at the same pace that a sighted child learns to read print. But, I had to learn Braille while I was in the middle of high school, and it was a challenge to try to keep up with my school work at the same time! (I have gone to public schools my entire life, and I’ve been in all regular education classes.) My Braille teacher told me that it would take about 2 years to learn, but with a lot of determination, and with help from the Lord, I learned Braille in about 4 months. I love it because I can read in the dark, and I also have my own secret language!

Q. How do you read Braille?
A. A lot of people assume that Braille is just print alphabet letters that are raised so you can feel them. But, actually Braille letters don’t resemble print at all. Braille is a system of 6 dots that are arranged in different patterns, and you can make all the symbols and letters you need with just those 6 dots. (It’s hard to explain.) When reading Braille, you use your two index fingers, but you mostly read with your right index finger. Your left hand helps you to track what line you’re reading, and you also use it to find the next line more quickly. You read from left to right, just like print text. There are 2 types of literary Braille. (In English, that is.) Grade 1 Braille is when a book or passage of text is written with all the alphabet letters, just like an ordinary print text. Grade 2 Braille is also called contracted Braille, and it is the type that I read. It’s sort of like learning to write in short hand. With grade 2, you use different symbols that stand for entire words, or common letter combinations, such as “ing” or “tion”. There are symbols that stand for words such as “the” or “and”. Almost every letter of the alphabet can stand alone as a short hand word, like the letter “c” stands for “can” when it is standing apart from other letters. I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense to most people, but once you get the hang of it, you can have a lot of fun!!

Q. How do you write in Braille?
A. There are a few different ways to create Braille. One way is by using a stencil called a slate, and using a sharp pointy object called a stylus to poke holes in your paper using the slate. Whenever you write in Braille, you have to use special paper that is thick so that the dots don’t get squished over time. To erase in Braille, you use a little tool to rub the dots off your paper, and sometimes it makes a mess of your work! (It’s not the best system, but it’s pretty much the only way to do it!) Another way to write in Braille is to use a Perkins Braille writer, which is similar to an old fashioned typewriter. It has a total of 9 keys: the 6 keys that make the 6 dots, a space bar, backspace, and enter. (It’s pretty noisy, but it works pretty well.) A third way to write Braille is to use a special computer and Braille embosser. These are very expensive, so I don’t have them! They are really neat, though!

Q. Where do you get Braille books?
A. I get them from a state library. They mail them to me in big boxes, and when I’m finished reading them, I mail them back. It’s a really great program! The library also sends me books on tape which I really enjoy too.

Q. How do you use a computer?
A. I have a screen reading software on my computer called JAWS. It basically reads everything on the computer that I need to know. With JAWS, I can write and edit my work, do email, surf the web, and almost anything else. It doesn’t really work well with websites that have a lot of graphics or weird layouts, so sometimes I have trouble online. But for the most part, it does pretty well. I went to a special training session to learn how to use the software, because you have to know tons of keystrokes in order to use it. If you’re interested in checking out the software, go to: www.freedomscientific.com

Q. How do you watch TV?
A. I mostly listen to TV and movies, and I’m really good at figuring out what’s going on based on the dialogue and sound effects. I can recognize people by their voices, so I’m pretty good at recognizing actors that way too. I don’t do well with action packed movies, or parts that don’t have much talking. Sometimes my family and friends who are watching with me can help me figure out what’s going on if I need help. (Thanks, mom!) If you want to know what it’s like, try watching TV with your eyes closed sometime!

Q. Can you drive a car?
A. No. Trust me; you don’t want a blind girl like me driving! If I had good vision, and my only challenge in life was being 3 feet tall, I could most definitely drive. Little people can get extensions put in their car so they can reach the gas and break pedals, and other important things like the radio. But, since I can’t see, my mom is usually my driver. She is so patient with me and always takes me where I need to go. And sometimes my friends help with my transportation, too.

Q. Can you cook?
A. Yes, I am an excellent chef, as long as it involves the microwave. We have a microwave on a shelf down low so I can reach it, and it has Braille labels that we put on the important buttons. I’m not able to use the oven because I can’t reach inside to get food in and out without getting burned.

Q. Is it hard being blind?
A. Most of the time, I do think that being blind is more of a challenge for me than being a little person. My lack of vision effects my life much more than my short stature does. My vision problems have kept me more dependent on others, and I need help with the most basic everyday things. But, I have been so incredibly blessed with family and friends that are gracious and understanding, and I am surrounded by people who are more than willing to help. My mom and I are extremely close, and I always know that I can depend on her. I always say that God knew exactly what He was doing when He put the 2 of us together. He knew we would be a perfect match! So, yes, being blind is difficult at times, but I absolutely LOVE my life!! I wouldn’t be who I am today if I didn’t have to deal with these obstacles. And, the bottom line is that I believe God has a great plan for my life. I pray that He will use me somehow to impact the world.

Q. Do you get nervous when you speak and sing in front of people?
A. Yes! Over the years, I have learned that I will always feel anxious before getting on stage. But, I have also learned that my nervousness is a very good thing. The adrenaline and excitement helps me to do well. And usually, after I’ve been up there for a minute or two, all my anxiety fades away. When I’m speaking, I always feel like I’m doing what God has called me to do. I love sharing my story with people and encouraging them.

Q. How do you stay so positive and upbeat when you have so many hard challenges to deal with?
A. I have learned that my joy does not have anything to do with the struggles I deal with. If my happiness depended on my life being free of tough circumstances, I would never be content. You can’t control everything that happens in your life, but you can control your attitude, and your response to what happens to you. I choose to get up every morning and focus on the blessings in my life instead of the things I don’t have. My joy comes from deep within my spirit, and I am able to be at peace with who I am. The reason for this is that I have a relationship with the One who created me. He has shown me His deep, undying love for me, and my understanding of who He is continues to grow every day. It’s that indescribable love that makes me so secure and full of joy. I completely trust Him with my life, and I know that whatever trials I will face in the future, He will be there to walk through them with me. As my favorite Bible verse says,

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)