First Of April

Today is National Prank Day, better known as April Fools’ Day. As with many holidays, it remains unclear exactly what the origins are. There are many theories, some of which make sense and others that do not. Regardless of how it all started, the day of practical jokes and pranks has survived for many centuries in many countries around the world.

While I’ve been known to play a few practical jokes from time to time, I’ve never really gotten into the whole April Fools’ Day thing. I think it’s because that’s the day such things are expected. The day when playing pranks is considered normal. I prefer to not be predictable when it comes to jokes or pranks. So, I try to avoid attempting to pull a fast one on anyone on April 1^st.

Of course, convincing people that I’m NOT playing a joke on them on April 1^st is sometimes a chore. Like one time when I called my wife.

My pickup had broken down and rather than walk the two miles to the auto parts store, I was hoping she would be able to give me a ride. But she didn’t believe me. She kept saying, “Right. April Fools.”

For a moment, I was tempted to just hang up and walk to her job, take her vehicle and return home to fix my pickup. It would have been worth the walk just imagining her getting off work and coming out to find no car!

Eventually, I did convince her that I actually needed a ride. Good thing too, I think —because knowing my luck, she would have reported the car as stolen. That would have been fun when the cops showed up. Or not. Somehow I don’t think shouting “April Fools” would have been all that dissuading to them. ~

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Lana Denae Mysteries, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million.