Land of Giants

We are in the land of giants---tall, thin, handsome giants with blond hair and high foreheads. Their posture is straight, their bearing nearly regal. This is a novelty to me, a small person in my own home state. I am told that the Dutch are some of the tallest people in the world. No one is certain how this initially happened---speculation is that their calcium-rich diet (you know, all that cheese and milk) led to long, strong bones, which through simple genetics now has perpetuated a type. It is striking, amazing and awe inspiring to me. As they ride their bicycles through the streets, backs straight and heads erect, unhurriedly pedaling, you can almost picture them on the backs of their horses during the days when the Dutch were a world power and people to be feared. Surely those wide foreheads were made for crowns and those tall, upright bearings best cloaked in royal robes.

I suppose this is similar to people noting the abundance of obese people in Iowa when they come to visit. It is a striking characteristic of many midwesterners. Though it used to be a sign of wealth and prosperity to be fat, now it is a sign of unhealthy indolence or indifference. Poor nutritional habits in this case have led to a type, which is gradually perpetuating itself genetically through excessive size and obesity-related diseases even in childhood.

Maybe Iowans just need to get on their bicycles and ride everywhere.