April Fools’ Day is designed for telling lies where people expect truth. But my idea of fun is to tell truth where people expect lies.
In high school, one April 1st, I wrote the word “gullible” on a small piece of paper and taped it to the classroom ceiling.
I was hoping that someone would try the common trick of saying, “Hey look, ‘gullible’ is written on the ceiling!”
Then, if the listener looked, the trickster would discover that that the tables had turned, truth had prevailed, and trust would not be mocked this time.
In a sense, it was my attempt to make up for all the times I myself had been tricked. I didn’t like how mistrust is socially honored on this day, so I found a way to honor those of us who take words at face value.
It didn’t turn out quite how I intended, but it didn’t turn out badly either. Several classmates saw it, got the joke, and made me feel clever when I took credit.
It was much nicer than feeling like a fool.