Christopher Who?

So, are or were any of you off today for Columbus Day? Were your kids? Is this still a national holiday? Is it possible to de-certify a holiday, as it were? Because I really wish someone would make up their mind about this one already.

Don't get me wrong; I'm totally with the whole we-are-NOT-going-to-teach-our-kids-that-Columbus-discovered-America mindset. Which sort of invalidates the whole concept of Columbus Day because it, unlike Thanksgiving, has not taken on any greater meaning in our culture than the veneration of a single man/expedition. So, yeah. Off with his head, or at least his holiday.

But could we at least all get on the same page here? I'm at work because, you know, it's not a holiday. Except, no mail. Because, you know, it's a holiday. A few of the kids I know are off of school for the holiday-that-is, while others are in school because there is no holiday. Best of all are the pussies who run our school district, who made today an in-service day, where the kids are off, but the teachers have to attend some kind of training session. Columbus Day? Oh, no. That's not why the schools are closed. It's just a coincidence, really...unless, that is, you care about such things, or you yourself are off today. In which case, yes. We made sure your kid could have Columbus Day off with you so you could hit the white sales together. Aren't we considerate?

Sheesh.