DEAR ABBY: Allow me to offer a word of encouragement to young boys who are short in stature: All your life, you will hear thoughtless remarks about your height. "He's short. That's so sad. It will hold him back in life. He'll have trouble with girls," and so on. Don't listen to a word of it!
I am now a senior citizen. Not once has being short held me back from anything I wanted in life -- relationships, money, career, friends and respect. Other people may have stereotypes, but do not let them control your goals and dreams. You can have whatever you want in life, so go for it! -- MIKE IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR MIKE: There is no height requirement for success. As I write this I am thinking of Prince, Elton John, Michael J. Fox, Kevin Hart, Danny DeVito and every jockey who races for the Triple Crown. (My lawyer is also short in stature, but I measure him only from the eyebrows up.)