Columbus Day

I used to think Columbus was a really neat guy, sailing around in the Nina the Pinta and the Santa Maria.  I always supposed he was in the Santa Maria and he just stood on deck and waved to Nina and Pinta.  I always thought he set out to discover America and the natives were standing on the shore waving at him to 'come on down'.  'Always' being when I was a little girl.  Then I grew up and realized that he was sort of off course and that the natives did not particularly want his presence on their shores.  Then I advanced in years and decided it didn't matter much and he was just probably a hapless sailor who happened on some semi-unoccupied lant and decided to make Isabella happy.  It seemed to fit the prospectus he presented when I tried to float the loan for his trip. 
Now I am told that children are learning that he was evil and coniving and ruined the world by bringing smallpox and such things to the shores of this great land.  That he treated people cruelly and made a misery of their lives.  I can't remember all the things that I read in the article, but I am sad that children now think of him as a bad guy and the best thing he did was get a day off for public employees and make an excuse for special sales in stores.  I know history is sanitized but do we have to destroy all the past heros we learned to revere.  George Washington was probably a bad guy too, but they had better leave him alone.  Bad enough he has to share his birthday with other good-bad heros of our country. 
I am going to  celebrate good old Christopher Columbus with a drink after work.