Yep, it’s Monday …
I really can’t do the Happy Columbus Day … it is a holiday for the most part though I hear the kids still have school! I know that the historically distorted rumor is that “Columbus Discovered America” … since … he thought he was in Asia near China and the East!!
Instead of just swallowing the Columbus Day historical “rumor” hook, line and sinker, do some research. I have come across a few links on social network, and, when I read that “Chris” was just a hustler who promised the greedy Spanish investors in his journey, whom he promised would have high yields of gold. Or maybe I could focus on the explosion at a “peace rally” in Ankara, Turkey in today’s piece. A lot of options. Still I could probably build a mini-story around what Joel Osteen talked about today when explaining that a human’s character is developed more during “dark times” in our lives. For it is during those times that one ” … prays more, gets closer to family and develop important characteristics like faith, perseverance, honesty and trust.”
Yes, we’ve built Western civilization here in the Americas around “Columbus’s Discovery of America”. Hmmmm …. Many Native Americans would disagree. Actually, the meeting of these two cultures was quite the “misunderstanding”. The “natives”, first of the Bahamas, were considered by Columbus to be ” … naked as animals; very free with their possessions …”. You see, the “natives” assumed that the “travelers” were friendly and did NOT have an ulterior motive! How wrong they were!! The “natives” were very kind, innocent, and dressed for their climate in the Americas. Ignorance and greed had the Spaniards taking “natives” to Europe where most of them got cold, sick and died before reaching a land of “horror”, as they were converted into servants!! It was written that in some places, once the “natives” were forced to go into areas, rivers, mountains and search for the “gold” that Columbus was convinced was here, since he had convinced his investors that gold was here, realized the ultimate goals of these “visitors” … many even committed suicide and killed the children to avoid the hostility, horror and greed of the Europeans …. Sounds more like “Columbus Day” to me …
Try to listen to others when you are engaged in an exchange. Oftentimes, the person you may be dealing with may have a different set of “values” and “intentions” than you do! It is interesting when people think “they have the upper hand” when the other person is really genuinely trying to be friendly ….
Have a great day, remember the origins of this “Columbus Day” thing, and seek peace … still seek peace!
Peace,
John I. Cook, Director
Educational Excellence 