Saturday, October 12, 2013

Columbus and I

So it is sort of de rigueur that one post something about that great fifteenth century mariner, Cristobal Colon, on this date.  It is marked on your calendar as “Columbus Day,” presumably because we Anglo-types cannot correctly pronounce “Colon.”  Well, yes.  Chris did not find what he set out to find, did not know what it was he did find, and is remembered in the annals of history as a great explorer.  Works for me.

  
Most people can correctly pronounce my name, but strangely enough, a very high percentage of them, left to their own devices, will misspell it.  I once set out to get rich, and either I did not get there, or if I did I did not recognize the riches when I got there.  I could be famous.  Wanna devote a day on the calendar to me?
Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria (Black and White)










Image courtesy University of South Florida

Yes, I am aware that the Federal Uniform Holiday Act has changed 
Columbus Day from October 12 to some Monday in October, but you
 know what foot-draggers some old guys can be.  Stuck in the past, 
we are.

6 comments:

Shelly said...

He certainly fell into greatness while others who did much greater things fell into obscurity.

vanilla said...

Shelly, another case of "who you know?" perhaps?

Grace said...

Cristoforo Columbo was a cruel, nasty, money-grubbing, glory seeking SOB - He never set foot on the North American continent. He was a slaver and mass murderer and I have never understood why people in the Bahamas celebrate Columbus Day. They should take the day to hang or burn him in effigy!

Just sayin'...

vanilla said...

Grace, a sentiment which is widely held, and yet. . .

Sharkbytes said...

It's really tabu to celebrate old Chris around here any more. You are very brave. And yet, a lot of people who did great things were not very nice.

vanilla said...

Sharkey, yes, he has gotten a lot of bad press in recent years. I was mostly just hoping someone would take up my cause-- I want some recognition, too!

Quite possibly had everyone been "nice people," we would all be plucking berries and grains of wild grasses to this day.