|
||||
Travelers' Aid: Isle of Muck
"The Sea was blue and the sky was blue and the mountains of the neighboring islands were covered in snow and it was very beautiful." Ahh, a Scottish paradise. That was Barbara Graves. I spoke with her this week about a conundrum that has her, and her neighbors in a real pickle. I mean picture this: a small fiord off the coast of Scotland, about 600 miles north of London: you stand on white sand beaches, watching dolphins and whales swim by. So what's the problem? Try the name. "Muck."You heard right...MUCK! "It's always been Muck. It comes from the Gallic word for porpoise, you know, like a little dolphin. We have a lot of whales and things in the sea just out here."Well, now Muck has launched a recruiting drive. Its numbers have shrunk from 40 residents just a few years ago, to 28 today. Now, Barbara makes Muck sound, well, beautiful. But forget about a name change... "Oh no, can't go around changing things just 'cause people think it's not nice. They have to come and visit, maybe it will intrigue them to come and visit..."
|
American Public Media Home | Search | How to Listen ©2004 American Public Media | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy |