April Fool
Some things you hear on the radio are really weird. They were talking about a new gadget called a “Smile Holder.” It has hooks to fit in the corners of your mouth and bigger hooks to go over your ears and you pull it tight to stretch the smile……
Then I realised – it’s the 1st of April. April Fool’s Day!
I was seven when I first learnt about April Fool’s Day. My best friend and I entered into the spirit of the occasion and prepared slips of paper with sticky tape on the end and the words “You are an April Fool” printed on them. The idea was to sneak up behind the other kids at school and stick the message on their backs.
Dad was a milkman at that time and he agreed to take some of the slips with him and deliver them with the milk at the homes of some of our peers. I was absolutely horrified when he came home and told me he had left one on my teacher’s doorstep. You know, it never occurred to me until now, that he probably didn’t really do it. I’ll bet it was his joke on me to let me think that he did!
I remember one year when Dad had a shop, he taped a coin under the glass counter top and watched while customers tried to pick up what they thought was some of their change. And the adjacent butcher had fun with a piece of string tied to an empty wallet on the footpath.
When we were kids, we used to try to remember to say, “Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit” on the first day of the month before we spoke another word. It was supposed to ensure a good month. No one really believed in it, but it was fun to try to remember to do it. I have no idea where that idea came from.
Round Robin
At our Toastmasters meeting this week, the Round Robin topic was “Why did you join Toastmasters, and what have you got out of it?” – a very easy one to talk about, but impossible to tell it all in 30 seconds. Later, by sheer coincidence, one of our members presented an entertaining 20 minute speech about his own personal development as he had progressed through the various speech assignments.
I thought of how nervous I had been giving my first “Icebreaker” speech. The main thing I learnt then was that I could speak for 5 minutes without passing out in fright, though for a few moments I didn’t think I was going to make it. Yes, I’ve come a long way.
Too tight
Business was brisk at our World Vision Jumble Sale this week. There are always more people around on pension week. I was amused by the woman who tried to fit into a dress that looked terribly tight on her. “I won’t buy it,” she said. “It’s too big!” It took her a while to wriggle back out of it. Nearly all the plants sold, and lots of books. It was a good morning.
All morning during the Jumble Sale there was a cacophony of squawks coming from the flowering Umbrella Trees across the road. They were covered with Rainbow Lorikeets feeding and squabbling over the nectar. “Just listen to those birds!” I said to Mum.
“Yes,” she said, “Don’t they sound lovely!”
“Lovely” isn’t quite the description I’d give to that raucous noise, but I know what she meant. It’s just nice to know those beautiful birds are there.
