A Tip of the Hat to Columbus
Columbus Day, a holiday that holds a special place in the hearts of the Write On The Water crowd.
In some parts of our country, people have attempted to reduce Columbus' place in history. Some of this stems from trivial stuff such as the footnote that indigenous people already lived here when Columbus discovered America. Or muddying things up by pointing out that Leif Ericson and his Norse companions ventured over to these parts centuries before the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria set sail.
Don't fall for this, I say. Hold fast to the indisputable truth that our man Columbus sailed the seas more than five hundred years ago, explored new lands, and changed world affairs. And in any case, take a moment to consider the magnitude of this heroic feat. If you can, consider an Atlantic ocean crossing in 1492, a time when:
Cellphone and WiFi coverage was horrendous;
Sperry docksiders had leather soles and looked like dingo boots; and
GPS and electronic chart plotters generated maps that depicted the world as being flat.
Sure, Columbus could cross the ocean without worrying about getting run-down at night by supertankers screaming along in the commercial shipping lanes. And granted, he didn't have to worry about ethanol screwing up his fuel lines. On top of that, okay, he had all the good anchorages when he entered uncongested harbors.
But as sailors, we know the truth: the man from Genoa must have been one hell of a seaman. And as writers, we know something else: Had he lived in our times he would have landed one heck of a book deal. So let us all at Write On the Water tip our caps to Chritoforo Columbo, Mariner of Genoa.
And Chris, thanks, too, for the convenient holiday that lands just before the end of the sailing season up here in New England.
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