I celebrate Columbus Day. I am happy Columbus made Europe aware of the existence of the Americas. Doing what he did took imagination, courage, managerial skill, and some fine salesmanship to talk the Spanish crown into funding his expedition.
Sailing off into the unknown, every mile putting his three little ships farther from everything familiar and any possible source of help, was immensely risky and daring. I find his sort of entrepreneurial spirit admirable.
Had Columbus not done so, my people might still be resident in England and Scotland. When the safe thing to do was stay home, he (and they) were risk-takers.
