The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.
April 1 is coming this week – that’s right, April Fool’s Day. When I was a kid and even, at times, as an adult, I was one of those who loved playing a joke on an unsuspecting audience. I often would make my mother the target because she was easily shocked. I remember using catsup, a handkerchief, and my acting skills when I walked up to her revealing a very “serious cut” to my forehead and screaming the need for immediate medical help. I laughed – she did not.
I remember placing one of those black realistic rubber bugs on my sister’s shoulder and screaming “Look!” She screamed with fright; I screamed with laughter right up to the moment she got a roller skate and hit me over the head with it.
When I was teaching school and the class was studying George Orwell’s 1984, I saw a great opportunity to use April 1 as a lesson. 1984 is the novel about a totalitarian society where truth is what you believe to be true, not what, in actuality, is true. This was a difficult concept for students to comprehend – I mean isn’t truth – truth?
As an experiment, the class and I decided to invent a student to see if we could convince the rest of the school of his existence. I said we would give it one week of life. It was easy. I “enrolled” him. By mid-week, I was able to get him on the absentee list for a day; made him a member of the basketball team (one of my actual players came to me to quit the team because he heard I said he would start for this player – I gave him the old “everyone has to earn their spot” speech to convince him to stay on the team); and had girls waiting outside my classroom just to see him (they had heard he was good-looking).
We had to stop before the week was up because someone had convinced someone else that he would go on a blind date that Friday with a girl. I thought that was a bit cruel so we gave up the farce on Thursday. It actually took a while to get the word out that he did not exist. But, it certainly worked – truth became what the school believed to be true.
Many of you know, I used to do a radio gig with Bearman and Keith on WZZO every Monday morning. We had a good time every week. One show fell on April Fool’s and I decided, as I was driving to the studio, to come up with a news report that the Phillies had traded their most popular player, Mike Schmidt. It was an absolute falsehood, but I went with it as I gave my sports report on the show. The phones lit up. People were shocked, angry, unreasonable, and very opinionated. When I revealed it was just an April Fool’s joke, people were shocked, angry, unreasonable, and very opinionated. However, Bearman, Keith, and I had a good laugh.
I would like to think all of those pranks were harmless and fun (except for the roller skate across the head).
I would like to think when April Fool’s roles around this Wednesday, someone in power will say simply “Coronavirus – April Fool’s!” But, I fear that, too, would be a joke.
Stay safe and healthy.
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
- In this time of isolation, RCN and companies like them provide, perhaps, the most important services – cable TV, phone, and internet. They keep us informed, involved with our friends and family, and occupied during these difficult times. What would we do without these services?
- I really miss March Madness, both the games of course, but also the competitive fun we had at work with the office pool. Being a sports director, everyone thought I had all the inside scoop and should do well with my bracket. I did not and it seemed my fellow workers took great pleasure in not only beating me, but constantly reminding me of my ineptness. Invariably, the greatest challenge came from one of the women in accounting and, thus, the greatest embarrassment. Even the embarrassment, I miss.
- Things are so bad that I agreed to play the longest possible version of Scrabble with my wife on Saturday afternoon. It took almost three hours – it’s the Deluxe expanded edition. Even that, I lost!
- One thing I have been able to do is email coaches, ADs, and statisticians to thank them for all their help this season and in the past. Having time helps you do the right thing.
- I would guess Major League baseball is, at least, a couple of months away from starting. Can we hold out hope that the first pitch might occur on June 1?
