Our Own Mountains
They may not appear grand, and their heights are certainly modest, yet these are undeniably our own mountains. The fact that they impede the passage of wind and waves is, for us, the Dutch, in our well-trodden lowlands, a matter of life and death.
Perhaps it has simply become a part of ourselves, a realization that may elude us. Living meters below sea level shapes the character of a people. As a friend once remarked, "Dutch folks are allowed a touch of grumpiness; after all, they always face the prospect of damp feet."
Anyway, the simplicity of this place speaks to me. Observing something as elemental as this brings me tranquility. Land, sea, and sky.
