Saturday, April 3, 2010

The Reality of Fools and Wisdom Teeth

I missed writing on April Fool's day and yesterday which could indicate I was busy having an extended celebration. However, my daughter had her wisdom teeth out on April Fool's day so my focus was elsewhere. (Luckily oral surgeons don't bring pranks to work) A friend of mine was sharing memories on her blog of past April Fool's pranks she and her siblings would pull. It brought back a few memories of my own..

I would always try and scare my dad by putting a fake spider in his cup when he came home for lunch. One year I scared him, which was no easy feat, and I was very happy with myself. A few years after my husband and I were married I filled his lunch box with socks (I can't remember if they were clean or dirty) but I enclosed some lunch money at the bottom as a token of peace. I appreciate well planned and well executed April Fool's jokes but mine are not very elaborate. I stick with minor pranks rather than hoaxes because I am a lousy liar, which I guess is a good thing.

April Fool's day reminds me of hearing a man named Anthony Newly sing a song called What Kind of Fool am I. It was a song from a broadway production. Anthony Newly was a dramatically expressive performer who almost made it look like singing was excruciatingly painful. His song asks a good question...At times in my life I have been a stubborn fool, a crazy fool, a dancing fool, a darned fool, a lovesick fool, and even an April fool (also a May fool, a September fool...). Of course the fool I aim to be is nobody's fool.
When they brought my daughter out to the waiting area after having her wisdom teeth extracted I said something to the effect that she looked and sounded so cute with her squirrel-ready-for-winter gauze-packed cheeks I wanted to pinch her cheeks, but I wouldn't. Note to parents: If you ever want to say something embarrassing like this to your teenager, right after they have had oral surgery is the perfect time! They are too woozy to give you a proper eye-roll, they have difficulty speaking so they can't protest verbally, and they are fully aware that you are their caregiver for the next few days so they let it go. She is recovering nicely by the way.

Random Thoughts: I was reading a TV critic's column the other day and the subject was Survivor. I have never seen the show but the article got me thinking about 'reality' shows. In the time in which we live a lot of time, energy, and money is spent in trying to make things that aren't real look real so what effect does that have on things that are real? Does the boundary become blurred between virtual reality and reality? Does it make sense to take time out of our real lives to watch someone else's reality for entertainment? We do after all spend quite a bit of time watching or reading other people's fantasies. Are reality shows real? Sometimes I have read about reality shows and the phrase, 'get real' has come to mind. I have found myself watching some things or reading some things and thinking that I am glad that isn't my reality but in a way I have just made it part of my reality for a short time, haven't I? I think it was Plato that said we create our own reality, things are only real because we perceive them to be...I think I need a reality check. I like to spend a lot of time in my own little world and worlds that others create but the real world is pretty cool too...most of the time. It is fascinating to watch and even greater to take an active part in. It feels more...real that way.

How do you see things?

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