There comes a point in life… when wrinkles deepen…reading glasses appear … and the skip in your step slows to a shuffle.  THAT is the point when you stop being the culprit… and become the casualty of the April Fool jokes.

Oh…  As a child I started on fake dog poop… then cake pops made from brussel sprouts .. and eventually telling the family I got fired.  Satisfied with their horrified reaction… as a kid I’d bellow April Fools. As a teen, it was calm and cool.  

Dude ...  April Fools.

As an adult…  taking pranks too far and I’d end with  “It was only an April Fools Joke.. I’m sorry.. I didn’t mean to upset you.  It’s okay.
But the final stumbling step in the April Fool stages of life… is the one I enjoy most.  

This holiday… that has no clear origin. Perhaps it comes from a festival in Ancient Rome.  Maybe France in the 1500s.   
I’ve seen April 1st more than 60 times now…. and as a journalist…  by the end of March… I enjoy being the world’s greatest skeptic.  I don’t believe a single news story I read til I’ve verified every detail.  But aside from the happiness of exposing fake news stories.  I’ve also learned it’s more fun to be the victim.  You don’t have to dream up how to fool everybody… you don’t have to come up with ever more creative stunts.  As the poor hapless victim… when someone says April Fools. you get a momentary jolt to your system.  Then you tip your cap to the prankster.  It’s so easy.   So to my grandkids… bring on the fake dog poop.