"Everybody is Equal," that is the title of a chapter in Carl Goerch's 1956 book, Ocracoke. Goerch notes that North Carolina congressmen and senators frequently visited Ocracoke because they fell in love with this place. When they came to the island, he tells us, Ocracokers routinely addressed them by their first names: Lindsay, Herbert, and Joe.
Goerch adds this advice for newcomers to the island: "And for heaven's sake, if you've never been to Ocracoke, don't make the mistake of patronizing the people down there just because they live in a location which might be described as being isolated. If you do, you're sunk, so far as the natives are concerned.
"You may have all the money in the world, be known all over this country, wield all kinds of influence but it won't get you anywhere. If the people on the island like you it's because of you, yourself. If they don't like you, it's for the same reason."
Not much has changed in 55 years!
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the "Joe Bell" flower. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012112.htm.
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And thats exactly why i love ocracoke so much! Who you are is determined by YOU not what you DO or HAVE....
ReplyDeleteI was given a copy of that book by my daughter,a past resident of Ocracoke. She found it in a used book store in Asheville NC. It has become my prize posession! If you can find,read it. You will love it.
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