I Can Draw Tippy!

This work is from my Pursuit of Strength series which dealt with my childhood experience with the growth disorder precocious adolescence. By definition, premature, or precocious, puberty is puberty that occurs before the ages of 8 in girls and 9 in boys. It is rare, occurring in about 6 of every 1,000 otherwise normal children. Children who develop premature puberty may initially be taller than their peers, but since their growth is likely to stop early, they may end up abnormally small. The premature development can lead to psychological problems. In some instances, the early puberty is hereditary and normal, as it was for me. More commonly, the premature development is due to an organic disorder.

By the age of four I started growing very fast. By the time I reached the second grade I grew nearly to adult height. Adults expected more of me because I looked so much older. I began to take on more responsibilities than my schoolmates, who were still playing in the sandbox. I was teased on a daily basis because of my “oddities.” It didn’t help that I was clinically hyperactive with learning disabilities. I felt as if I was from another planet. I could not wait to stop growing or eventually age into adulthood. I wanted nothing more than to be “normal.”

Two fighters struggle in the boxing ring. Opponent #1 is “the big girl,” who symbolizes the child I was while I was experiencing my growth disorder. Opponent #2 is the “little woman” who is myself as an adult. “The big girl” is dressed in the classic pink party dress. Facial features are diminished because even though this is my personal storytelling, struggle is universal. It is hard to tell who is going to win; the childhood pain seems everlasting and unbeatable. In the end they both win when I decide to respect both the girl and the woman.