I think it was "in Nineteen-Hundred and Forty-Two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue..."
Maybe it was earlier, because if it was then, the Germans would have torpedoed him.
I'll go look it up. Be right back.
* * *
Okay, I'm back. And here's the deal. It was a Friday, October 12, 1492 (makes a difference). At least, on the Julian calendar it was a Friday. I can't tell you what day of the Gregorian Calendar, because Pope Gregory XIII wasn't born until 1502. But I think it would have been a Wednesday.
Anyway, Friday October 12, 1492 is when Columbus discovered America. Which was a shock to the people already living here.
So, it's a holiday. Columbus Day, that is. Only we don't celebrate it on the Friday. Or a Wednesday. No, the government has decided that it's on a Monday, and that makes it October 10th this year.
Banks are closed today, because of Columbus' influence on the banking industry. Or something.
Post Office is closed, too. Get used to that.
Schools are closed, too. At least, I didn't see any school buses stopped in the road loading or unloading kids while cars sped by at 55 in a 35.
So, I suppose we're supposed to be celebrating. I'm observing Columbus Day by working at my job in Columbus.
How are you celebrating Columbus Day?
"Banks are closed today... "
ReplyDeleteWell, except here in America's Third World County where none of the banks have even gotten CLOSE to being "in trouble" with bad loans and all of them know that customer service comes first.
Heck, my bank (an employee owned institution; I live next door to one of the "owners"--the head teller at our local branch) stopped keeping "bankers hours" years ago, even staying open (lobby and all) through 1:00 on Saturday, 8:00-5:00 weekdays. Drive through open until 6:00 weekdays.
All the usual contemporary conveniences, naturally (online banking, robotellers, whatever), but a real presence with the personal touch stuff.
Yeh, we paid a higher rate on our mortgage (thankfully retired, now) by going through our local bank, but I could always talk face to face with MY loan officer. Worth quite a bit over the 12 years it took us to retire the 15 year mortgage.