Lessons of the Fool.

Jester by Todd Sternisha

It’s April Fools Day! Time for some light-hearted silly nonsense. A chance to relax, un-wind and let our worries sit on the sidelines for a little while. Too often we only see a jokester and a half-wit. Today let’s look at some of the lesson the fool can give us.

King’s funny man. Whenever I think of a fool, I think of the image of the court jester, there to provide entertainment for the king. The fool could say or do things that would normally get you thrown in the dungeon, yet as jester, he was safe from this doom. The fool could poke fun at serious subjects and by share a unique perspective by seeing things from an opposite viewpoint than everyone else.

Being a fool isn’t necessarily foolish – it could be good sense. Fools see the humorless as funny, and the amusing as significant. Turning a topic upside down helps you see all sides of it. Fools also knew the importance of seeing the humor in life. While the peasant might not have seen a funny side to having their pig killed by a run-away horse cart, the fool could see the feast that would result!

Foolish doesn’t mean stupid. Often people mistake the idea that if you are foolish, you are incompetent or incapable of learning. However while many fools may have been clumsy or socially inept, they were far from dumb. A fool could provide entertainment to the richest and noblest people in the kingdom. He rubbed shoulders with the brightest minds and best thinkers around.

Fools understand the value of a good laugh. Jesters and performers, many fools were called upon by their king to be of service by providing a diversion from worries and fears during times of hardship and strife. By poking fun at the royal family, the castle and other “off limit” topics, the fool could help the general population relief their stress through laughter and fun.

To be a fool, you have to be brave. Think about what it was like to be a fool. Wearing some ridiculous get-up, acting like a buffoon, taking on taboo subjects in the name of comedy. Not every fool was a beloved figure. To do your job and do it well, you must take risks. And you must be content in knowing that you have value even if everyone else thinks you’re worthless.

Being will to be foolish shows the greatest wisdom. In your own life there are many times when you feel foolish. You may make a mistake in an important presentation. Or have to apologize for a thoughtless comment made in haste. Having the courage to take a chance, to risk looking stupid is the surest path to enlightenment. When you break out of your comfort zone, you know you are heading towards learning and growth.

Learn from the fool. Open your mind to new possibilities. See the absurdity in the comedy of life. Be brave, be yourself, and don’t underestimate the value of a good laugh now and then. Have a little fun and know that foolishness is more than it’s cracked up to be.

Pranks and Fun Stuff

I get lots of fun input from other great authors, writers and various newsletters. I love April Fools Day, but have yet to plan ahead far enough to make the most of it. While perusing the Internet I came across several fun ideas that put the idea back in my mind. Here is some of what I found.

Thanks to John Kinde at Humor Power.com whose wonderful newsletter is always insightful and fun. He provided this wonderful article about Improv Everywhere and their playful pranks. Take a look:

They ran a short clip on a group in New York City called Improv Everywhere who, this past Saturday, held their Seventh-Annual No-Pants Ride On the Subway. The idea is to do something as a group which is safe (nobody gets hurt or offended) and fun (everyone has a good time). Imagine entering a subway car and realizing that several people were not wearing pants! How would you react? Actually, it's intentionally kept on the tame side. Most participants wear boxer shorts. I know if I'm ever to appear in public in my underwear...it will be boxers. Briefs are just too...underwear. The organizers of the No-Pants event gave instructions to the participants to dress in good taste. No thongs. In fact, they suggest that wearing two pairs of underwear might be a good idea. "We want to have fun...not piss people off."
Their web site is fun to browse. www.improveverywhere.com

And here are a few more ideas on doing a gag well:

Simple is fun. A group activity doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes a group will do something as simple as meeting at a designated location and applauding for 15 seconds and then blending back into the crowd. Or pointing in the sky at an imaginary object for 30 seconds and then disappearing. Total strangers are left to ask themselves, "What were they applauding?" Or, "What were they looking at?"

Silly People. One of my favorites is Lezlie, who was an improv player in my California troupe. If a scene ever needed a space alien or an android...Lezlie was the one to do it. She came to a pot-luck dinner party with a dish only Lezlie could bring. It was a plate of corn. She had gone to the trouble or preparing it to look like an hors d'oeuvres plate. Each kernel of corn had a toothpick stuck into it. Without a comment, without a smile, she placed it on the food table. People would see it and think, "Who brought the corn?" Although I think most of us immediately knew...it was Lezlie.

April Fools Day, the traditional gag day, is about ten weeks away. Now is the time to think about what you might do to celebrate the day. The most simple thing to do is get a greeting card from the card rack at the store. My favorite was a card that looked like the back of the card (barcode and price information). When you turned it over, it was also the back of the card. When you opened it, the greeting said "Happy April Fools Day!" Cute. But better yet, dream up your own, original gag for this April 1. It could be a gag for a large group, a small group at work, your family, or for that one special person. Keep it safe and sane and remember the relationship factor to help you measure appropriateness. And then on April 2, send a summary of what you did and what the experience was like to HumorPowerTips@HumorPower.com.

You can also check out these great sites for more ideas:

Family Fun – April Fools’ Pranks Galore. Check out Time Warp under Classic Pranks; Try the Official “Tax Collection on Allowance” form from the Printable Pranks, And Grilled Cheese (Surprise) from the Fun Food Pranks.

April Fool Zone for harmless ideas for work and home.