most emailed articles

I'm going to start a new recurring item: most emailed article of the day, on the theory that this says something about the current preoccupations, interests, and fears of the online news reading population.

Today's most emailed article from the Atlanta Journal and Constitution is, tellingly, in the business section: "Low-key, laid-back Jekyll Island targeted by developers." I found this out by emailing it myself, and after getting a little worked up by the article itself, I was somewhat comforted by the realization that others were interested in what was happening, or what will happen, as well. Hard to say what direction the interest goes in this case -- our *great state has been selling off state parks for years (see Stone Mountain, never a bastion of democracy, now a private sugary "historic" park).

If you grew up in Georgia, you probably have fond memories of a school trip to Jekyll Island's 4-H club, the way I do. I could never forget the Great Blue Herons that sprung, startled and wild from their nesting place above a swamp pond, or the look in our instructor's eyes when he told us that the sight was growing rarer and rarer. I can still taste the prickly pear's surprisingly sweet purple flesh, and feel the sting of the spines I hadn't removed in my haste to get to the fruit they protect.

Prickly pears...one of nature's secret delights. Removing the spines is laborious, something only a child has the time or interest to undertake. But the juicy interior's flavor clings to your tongue, leaving its taste in your mouth long after the buds have faded. It's not for everyone, but it's accessible to all who care to explore it.

I wish Jekyll had spines like that.