Open Letter: Why I Absolutely Hate those April Fools' Jokes

I know this probably makes me sound really boring. But here's my confession: I kind of hate...HATE...April Fools' Day.

Yep, I know I'm stodgy but honestly--isn't life hard enough without practical jokes?

Now I know some folks idea of "jokes" are more friendly in nature. Maybe serving the kids food that looks healthy and not AT ALL what they wanted for dinner, but actually it is a piece of cake made to look like vegetables. I'm not talking about these rather sweet, benign gestures.

However, I've seen, and been subject to, many a practical "joke" that has primarily caused panic and very often isn't funny at all.

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And in the worst case scenarios, people use April Fools' Day as an opportunity to be downright mean to those whom they claim to love. Not a fan.

I can't tell you the number of occasions I've seen friends and co-workers break down in tears or be thrust into a heightened state of anxiety over one of these April Fools' "jokes." Even if the person playing a joke on them was truly well-intentioned, it's hard to predict how someone will react.

On top of that, some of these April Fools' jokes are delivered via social media--which can already be a playground of paranoia and panic. Plus, it's much more difficult for people to understand the tone of what is meant without the benefit of vocal tone and body language. Quite often, it can leave people feeling worse than they did--even if they pretend all is well.

Bottom line--life can be unsettling as it is. My preference is to surprise people with pizza. Not panic. <3

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