5 things to love about Dutch men
midlife musings and flagrant generalizations
Don’t you love life’s surprises? I mean, did I ever in my wildest dreams imagine that I’d be single, in my forties and living in The Netherlands? Hahahaha! Nope. It’s a good thing I learned to speak Dutch, eh?
Now, I have had a relationship with just one Dutch man, so I am by no means an expert. However, I’ve gotten to know the Dutch man through my friends, all of whom are married (every dang one of them), to men whose names generally begin with a “J”, by the way. Strange.
I do like the Dutch man. He really does it for me, actually. And, obviously, a romantic relationship is an opportunity to integrate on a whole new level. So to make light of my midlife dating phase, let’s celebrate what’s great about Dutch men.
no. 1 He’s tall
Did you know that Dutch men are the tallest in the world with an average height of 6 feet? I am just 5’ 4” and was married for 22 years to a man of modest stature, so you might think I wouldn’t put much stock in height. But, ladies, I do. Tall men are gold.
They can reach every top shelf. They can pick you up and put you down somewhere else. You have to tilt your head waaaay back when you kiss, which creates a pleasant, light-headed effect. You can always wear heels, high heels. He has big hands and a big hug and, well, everything just might be bigger. Which makes you feel smaller, held, protected, almost by default. Sigh. It’s totally dreamy.
Don’t overlook the shorter Dutch men, who also have wonderful qualities, but your chances of ending up with a tall, handsome man are quite high in The Netherlands. Hurrah!
no. 2 He looks great on a Bicycle
Do you like fancy cars? Not me. I really don’t care. I’ll tell you what’s hot, though - a man who looks good on his bicycle.
With Dutch men, the bicycle is an extension of his body. He can ride it every which way and definitely without hands. He sets off effortlessly. The way he stops is totally charming, maybe standing up on one pedal while gracefully turning to park. And when he offers you a ride on the back rack of his bicycle, you can’t believe that he can even pull off this balancing act with your awkward weight thrown in.
I guess I’m just impressed by a graceful man. With a bicycle he can move a Christmas tree, furniture, all the groceries, three children, even another full-sized bike. It’s just, wow. I don’t bother to aspire to be this good on a bicycle myself, I’ll just take one of those men, please. Thank you.
no. 3 He can eat bread for Every Meal
Don't feel like cooking? Too tired to plan a meal or execute a grocery list? No worries, you only need bread in the house and all is well. You can feed most Dutch men bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Armed with your pantry of sandwich toppings, which are easy to keep on hand, and some fresh cheese, and you’ve got this covered. Bonus, there’s probably a bakery in walking distance if the bread is running low.
What’s really awesome is that this counts for most Dutch people, not just the men. They are so easy to host. Forget cuisine, let’s all go back to sewing!
no. 4 He’s in touch with his Feminine Side
Now, before I paint the picture of a tall man, who apparently expects her to do the cooking, let’s set the record straight. Dutch men are totally in touch with their feminine side. I love that there seems to be no stereotypes about who picks up the kids from school, pushes the pram or does the grocery shopping, for example.
A Dutch man embraces the softer side of life in his personal preferences as well. He might consider pink tiles for his kitchen backsplash or enjoy experimenting with his clothing style. He is just as likely as her to have chosen the home furnishings without having to resort to “man cave” aesthetics in order to assert his masculinity. Quite simply, a man can like anything, just like a woman. It’s so refreshing.
But do you know what I find most valuable of all? When a Dutch man is willing to be in touch with his feminine side in an emotional way, with emotional intelligence, empathy and words. That’s certainly the kind of man I am looking for: a man who can talk. If that’s feminine, it’s one of our best features.
no. 5 He can Ice Skate
So actually, I didn’t think of this last one. One of those Dutch men did. And I thought that was pretty cute - that he thinks it’s awesome that Dutch men can skate.
But, yeah, I can see what he means. It kind of combines all these good features. Picture that tall, graceful man in motion over ice, totally comfortable with his feminine side and planning to cook you dinner, since he is starting to get tired of bread. ;).
That’s my ideal Dutch man.
Wish me luck, friends!
Go gently, dear. 🙏
Mmmm…Dutch men…. If they are as wonderful as Dutch chocolate, yes please! I wonder what the import taxes would be???