Lamb Holm, Scotland and Yesnaby, Scotland
Growing up, one of my favorite authors was Lewis Grizzard. I remember digging through my grandparents’ Winston-Salem Journal for Lewis Grizzard’s syndicated column. Beyond his column, I checked out Grizzard’s books from the North Stokes School Library or the Danbury Library. The stories that Grizzard wrote about included either the somewhat mythical stories featuring recurring characters such as Kathy Sue Loudermilk, Billy Bob Bailey, and Weyman C. Wannamaker, Jr., where the reader was never sure where the truth ended and the story began, or the fantastic stories of real life that caused many laughs and a few tears. Lewis Grizzard seemed to have a knack for stretching the truth for a laugh and for speaking truth to a great story, and surprisingly, the very Southern Lewis Grizzard seemed like a perfect foil for me to write about my impressions of two very Scottish animals, Highland Cows and Shetland Ponies.
We joked for most of the trip that Highland Cows were on the same level as Unicorns, Kelpies, and Nessie; another fictional animal in this country that seems to love stories about fake animals. Highland cows seemed to have merchandise in all of the gift shops, but it seemed just a little too convenient that they were not seen on any of the farms on either the first leg or our second leg of the long drive north through the entire Highlands to the Orkney Islands. Adrienne was fully convinced that Highland Cattle are not real and were just “cows in wigs.” The one time that I saw them while driving, I may as well have told Adrienne to hold a bag for snipe hunting or that Santa’s Reindeer were flying overhead. The hairy coos just seemed like a vibe rather than livestock, and the myth of this breed seemed to carry on during our travels. Even when we finally saw Highland Cows up close, we had to wonder: are these animals real, or are they just a fabrication for tourists like jackalopes?
As for the Shetland Ponies, I’m always reminded of Lewis Grizzard’s book, Shoot Low Boys, They Are Riding Shetland Ponies. Grizzard’s book focused on stories of true grit and the unsung heroes who make life worth living. Shetland ponies appropriately represent true grit, as they might be small in stature. Still, they are incredibly strong, sure-footed, and bred to withstand the harsh weather of the Shetland Islands, which lie even farther north than the Orkney Islands. The weather in this part of Scotland is not for the faint of heart. From the prehistoric peoples who built homes in the ground, standing stones, or circular rings to the Italian POWs who built causeways and a chapel from scrap, Orcadians have long been a people of true grit. Shetland ponies are a great symbol of the unseen strength displayed by people on the islands.
Funny enough, the last chapter of Shoot Low Boys, They Are Riding Shetland Ponies features a chapter on travel. Grizzard notoriously hated flying and, in his writings, was suspicious of anything from outside the American South. Color me surprised when I reread the last chapter and saw Grizzard’s storytelling and humanity praising Europeans. In the chapter ‘From Sea to Shining Sea,’ Grizzard writes, “true grit is not indigenous to any group or any place.” The places that brought us the Shetland Pony and, all joking aside, the Highland Cow, are full of grit. The Orkney Islands and the Scottish Highlands are beautiful, and I know the same can be said for the Shetland Islands. But all these places face harsh conditions, and the people who lived here historically and live here today show grit to make a living. These cute but humble livestock embody the strength of the people, and I’m glad to have come across both Highland Cows and Shetland Ponies on working farms during our travels.
I’ve written about Grizzard’s own influence on my writing when I reflected on The Varsity and his love for chili dogs. I’m not one to stretch the truth, as I find real life can be much stranger, whether it is a museum for disgusting food, seeing a draft horse deliver an Amazon Prime package, or finding a Popeyes beside a Popeyes. However, I fully agree with Grizzard when he states in his final paragraph, “From New York to Dallas, from Florence to Yosemite, there are men, women, and children walking around with hearts full of true grit. It may be hidden beneath the surface of poverty or tattoos or behind the face of wrinkles, but it’s there just the same, pure and clear.” Leave it to a newspaper columnist, a couple of livestock, and a trip to a remote island chain to remind me of the importance of finding humanity.
