April 1st – April Fools day… the unofficial holiday of practical jokesters. Forget the silly rubber-band-around-the-sink-sprayer lameness. What makes a good April Fools joke? Its believability… you have to build it up, make it believable, get the connection, and let it crash down.
I must say, I’ve have some good ones in the past. In fact, I was reminded today of my magnum opus of tomfoolery which took place in 2002. Yup, seven years ago…still has an effect.
I sent out an email to friends and family which was filled with excitement and passion about an impending move from Denver to the UK. I had been out of work for three months, actively seeking employment and I shouted from the mountaintop that I had been given an “opportunity of a lifetime” to work for a firm in London. Time was short as they needed me immediately and I was hitting the road in two weeks. My new employer would move me and my belongings and sell my loft as well. I was gushing with happiness and excitement…”my ship had come in…”
Before the day was half over, I had friends and family contacting their friends and family in the UK to greet me and help me settle in to a new environment. My niece was distraught and in tears. I even had an offer to stay with someone in London until I settled in…
The following year, I announced to everyone that I was giving up on architecture…I had attended an open try out for a local minor league hockey team and was offered a contract. This was my “shot at professional sports!” Although a minor league contract didn’t pay well, my wife was going to get a second job to help support the family.
Now, my friends know that my hockey skills are limited at best…they called bullshit. A few of the family called me out quickly. There were many that bought it, including my mother-in-law, who promptly lectured me with her disapproval.
How does one follow this up? Everyone’s on the look out…
Nothing.
You follow up with nothing. I occupied their heads for weeks leading up to it. Their expectations set that they were ready for me. At the end of the day, they came after me…”well, what’s the joke?” Of course, they we none too pleased to learn that they had been had again.
Now…credit is due to my sister for the following year. Her family had won the lotto and made a little money. They didn’t “announce” it for some time, springing the news on me in April. Of course, my first though was…nope, BS. I carried on for weeks not believing the story. They got me…
These days the jokes are simple and limited in breadth. It’s tough to follow that kind of success on such a grand scale. Today, I found out my firm was not selected for a new project. Rather, one of my former employees, a current friend, who has her own firm will be hired. I called her to see if she had any leads for some staff I needed to lay off because we didn’t get the job. She, of course, felt horrible thinking that she was putting her friends out of work. Hook, line, sinker…
After letting her stammer and stutter for a few minutes with panic in her heart… she figured it out.
Its a good time… stay sharp, cuz’ ya never know.
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That last trick sounded evil! I think I know who you did that too. It is funny, but evil.