I would be remiss if I did not speak to fact that today was April Fool’s Day. I used to really love this little “holiday”…. if you can call it that. Playing practical jokes was my forte. Oh boy. Left and right.
It started a long time ago. Not for me. But for the world….
The history of April Fool’s Day is thought to have started way, way back in 1582.
And wouldn’t you know? Leave it to the French. There was a reform of the calendar under Charles IX.
King Chucky Nine introduced The Gregorian Calendar. And just stir things up a bit… they moved New Year’s Day from April 1 to January 1. (They had a whole New’s Year WEEK in the old calendar… from March 25 to April 1. Talk about a party.)
ANYWAY.
So long ago…. in 1582…. communication traveled slowly. Slower than dial-up internet, I’ll tell you. Some people were only informed of the change several years later.
And of course… there were the more stubborn and rebellious types who refused to acknowledge the change. They kept their party hats for April 1 only.
Hence. These people were labeled “fools” by the general populace. Yeppers. They were subject to ridicule and had practical jokes played upon them.
This harassment evolved over time…. and that good old prank-playing continue on the first day of April.
(A little sidebar here. What makes a joke practical…. as opposed to impractical? Is it like having practical shoes?) Okay. Back to the deal.
So here we are now. April Fools Day. It got to the U.S. eventually. The tradition spread to Britain and Scotland in the 18th century. And finally, it crossed the big blue and was introduced to the American colonies by the English and the French.
But I digress. Sort of. I didn’t mean to go on about the history… but about how I used to love playing a good joke.
Telling my Mom I was pregnant when I was 17…. well….let’s just say….. that one didn’t go over so great. Right before she passed out…. she said… “And I thought you were gay.”
When she came to, I said… “You were right about that one Mom.”
These days… I can’t come up with too many good April Fool’s jokes. It appears that my real life is much stranger than fiction…. so it seems rather pointless now. But I still like the day. Once a fool, always a fool….. I suppose.