The April Fool

As a teacher I was always looking for creative and unusual ways to get a point across to my students. I was always sure that given a chance I could teach a fake lesson and my students would follow along, take notes, nod their heads in agreement, and not challenge what I said. And so I began a tradition of every few years on April 1 teaching the Looflirpa Theorem. And I was generally very successful in pulling it off. One year I was so successful that even though the next day my students were told that it was fake and we reviewed the incorrect steps, I still had a student who tried to apply it on the final exam. Well I thought that if I could pull this off in the classroom I could probably do the same thing to our friends by e-mail. And so about a decade ago I began a new "tradition". After we returned from a trip to Florida I prepared an e-mail which said that we had so much fun there that we were purchasing a home and moving there in a few months. My April Fool's Day e-mail was so very effective - the best one ever - that we had friends calling and tearfully saying how much they would miss us. That one has been hard to beat. But every year since then I have sent out an e-mail presenting a "fake" problem - a new law that was passed, a tax increase on gum and candy, a charge for bulk mailing our prayer chain e-mails, etc. Some have worked, others have not. Last year I shared that Taco Bell was obtaining the naming rights to the Liberty Bell and would rename it the Taco Bell. This really upset a number of folks until they went to my link and realized that it was my annual prank. But each year it has become harder to do one since folks now are expecting it and are on guard. I had decided to "retire" this year and give it up. And I probably should have quit while I was ahead. However, several folks wrote to me or talked to me on Sunday morning and wondered when I was going to send out my annual e-mail. A few years ago even our pastor mentioned this "tradition" in one of his messages. So I thought I'd give it one more shot and late Sunday afternoon I sent one out informing folks that I might have spread a virus that would affect everyone in my address book beginning April 6 (my birthday). I always prepare a web page and send folks to it to reveal that it is an April Fool's Day joke. I provided a link to this page telling them that there they would find the remedy and protection for this virus. But this year I ran into numerous problems. Several reported back that the link wouldn't work for them and wondered what they should do to avoid the virus. I either sent them another link or told them to relax since it was just a joke. When I received numerous "complaints" about the enclosed link I had to send out another bulk e-mail with a new link. Some wanted to make sure that the e-mail really came from me before they clicked on the link and got another virus. One waited to have the tech person at work check her computer. A couple of others called us because they were worried about what we had done to their computer. And a few others ignored it completely or assumed that it was a joke and didn't even try the link. Only a few replied that they were tricked and thought it was funny. One said "you got me once again" and another "hook, line and sinker - we are still laughing about it!" It is interesting, however, that despite the reactions and concerns, my counter on the linked web page shows over 130 hits. Maybe this year I may have gone too far. I probably upset a number of folks and have others who didn't check the link worried about the April 6 virus. Hopefully after April 6 I will be forgiven. So maybe it is really time to "retire" this "tradition". Maybe this year I was really the April Fool!