Seriously, if you're chronically anxious (as I am), it's not pleasant to feel increasingly edgy and hypervigilant all day. (I typically only feel that way on days that end in 'y'.) I have to remind myself throughout the day, as I interact with coworkers and read online news, to watch out for jokes and pranks. Basically, I need to take everything I see and hear at face value, even more than usual. It's my annual reminder that I tend to be hopelessly gullible (making me an ideal target), typically believing what people tell me to be true, at least initially.
Like anyone else, I don't want to look or feel foolish, and this day, more than any other, is a fools' festival and a pranksters' paradise. I'm determined not to be pranked; unfortunately, unless I can stay safely locked in the sanctuary of my apartment, completely avoiding people, news sources, and social media sites, I'll inevitably be "had" at some point.
I suppose one possible way to make April Fools' Day more enjoyable would be to turn the tables on potential pranksters by playing some of my own tricks. After all, beneath my reserved, serious exterior lies a full-fledged goofball. But, for some reason, it's difficult to imagine my boss being amused, despite her fine sense of humor, by an announcement that I'm quitting. And I don't think my mom would enjoy hearing that I'm relocating to the jungles of Africa in three months. I can't really think of any other knee-slappers at the moment, but I think that's the point. Some of us, like me, aren't cut out for pranking, joking, and mind gaming the people around us.
I guess the truth is I'd rather be fooled than do the fooling.
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