Skip to main content

Special April Fools' Edition: Did You Fall For It?

In this episode: Special April Fools' Edition: Did You Fall For It? (And a Little Baseball Nonsense)

Welcome, fellow baseball aficionados and purveyors of the peculiar, to a very special, dare we say unpredictable, issue of On the Fly! Today, the air is thick with . . . well, probably just regular air, but a specific mischievous something is buzzing around. Can you feel it? Does that tingling sensation make you double-check your shoelaces and suspiciously eye any unusual packages? Yes, dear readers, it’s April 1st!

A day steeped in mystery, shrouded in playful deception, and frankly, a day where you shouldn't believe anything you read (except maybe this . . .maybe). But before we descend into a whirlwind of whimsical falsehoods (don’t worry, we’ll mostly keep it light!), let’s take a quick, slightly wobbly, historical flight through the origins of this most unreliable of holidays.

Whispers from the annals suggest a few intriguing possibilities for why we dedicate this particular day to harmless (and sometimes not-so-harmless) trickery. Like a persistent headwind, one popular theory points back to the 16th century and the grand calendar switcheroo. Imagine a world where the New Year used to kick off around the spring equinox, roughly April 1st. Then, BAM! The Gregorian calendar swoops in, declaring January 1st the new official party starter. Those slow on the uptake, or perhaps stubbornly clinging to tradition, who continued their New Year festivities on April 1st? They became the original "April fools," targets of gentle (and maybe not-so-gentle) mockery. Picture it: confused revelers still popping their (now very stale) champagne while everyone else was already nursing their January 2nd hangovers!

Another intriguing notion, like a long-lost flight manifest, hints at connections to ancient spring festivals. Think Roman shenanigans with Hilaria, a celebration with costumes and playful jesting. Could our modern-day pranks be a distant echo of these ancient revelries, a continuation of the springtime spirit of lighthearted chaos? Perhaps! Like a lost sock in the dryer of history, the truth remains elusive.

But enough with the historical haze! Let's get down to why you clicked on this special edition: the promised baseball nonsense! And trust us, it’s about to get . . . elevated.

We recently overheard a rather peculiar tale from the dugout (don’t ask how we got there; it involves a very convincing disguise and a misplaced bucket of popcorn). Apparently, one particularly enthusiastic player showed up to today’s game with a rather unusual piece of equipment. Can you guess what it was? Hold onto your hats, folks, because the answer might leave you reaching for the sky!

Why did the baseball player bring a ladder to the game on April 1st?

 . . . Because he heard the starting pitcher hurled some high pitches!

(Dramatic pause for laughter, or at least a polite chuckle)

Okay, okay, we know. It’s not exactly a grand slam of comedy, but hey, it’s April Fools’ Day! Did you expect Shakespearean wit from a blog about whatever comes to mind?

So, as you navigate the rest of your day, dear readers, remember the spirit of April 1st. Be vigilant, be playful, and most importantly, don’t take everything you hear (or read!) at face value. Especially if someone offers you a free flight to . . . well, anywhere today. Just double-check the paperwork, maybe triple-check. And if you see a baseball player carrying a ladder, just smile knowingly. You’re in on the joke.

Fly safe and happy (slightly suspicious) on April Fools' Day!

Disclaimer: No actual information was harmed (or significantly altered) in making this blog post. Any resemblance to actual flight plans, aircraft malfunctions, or believable news is purely coincidental, probably. 😉

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

The Compass of Cuba: Mom

🎄  Preview of this week's  On the Fly  blog: A Holiday Tribute to Mom. As the holidays hustle with pixels and beeps, the world scrolls along in a smartphone-y sleep. I log off for a moment—just one little minute— To breathe in the past and to sit myself in it. My mind doesn’t wander to faraway places, Or trips full of tickets and new airport faces. Instead, it drifts backward, as memories do, to Cuba, Illinois, where the best moments grew. To a home full of warmth, in the wintry Midwest, Where my mother—dear “Marcie”—put love to the test. With a smile that could melt the most frigid of dawns, and hugs that hung on you like shivering fawns. She came from La Rochelle in France, brave and bright, Across oceans and war shadows, into new light. A town full of strangers soon felt like her own, And her courage built up the foundation of home. “Oh yes, we know Marcie!” the locals would say— “It's Doc Ball’s French lady! She brightens the day!” She cleaned, and she cooked, and sh...
2 comments
Read more

Believing Is Seeing

🎄 In this episode, Believing Is Seeing . . . It's December, we bustle, we wrap, and we dash. We sort life into boxes— myths  here,  to-dos  in a stash. We whisper of Santa (adult code: “Not Real”), but hold on one minute—let’s rethink this whole deal. For the stories we cherish, the movies we stream, hold more truth in their sparkle than we grown-ups may deem. So hop in this sleigh and hold on real tight— We’re chasing down Santa by the glow of his light! Scott Calvin once landed in the North Pole’s cold air, with elves, cocoa, and snow everywhere. He squinted and frowned—“This just  cannot  be so!” (Like thinking tangled lights will detangle if we  blow .) Then Judy the Elf gave a cocoa so steaming,  and said something simple . . . yet surprisingly gleaming: Seeing’s not believing—no, that’s not the key. "Believing is seeing!"   Just trust, and  you’ll  see!” Kids don’t need a map or a satellite screen to know Santa’s workshop is her...
1 comment
Read more

Stamps and Snow

In this episode, Stamps and Snow . . .   You don’t usually walk into the local Post Office expecting a time warp . . . but here we are. All we wanted were stamps for this year's Christmas cards— yes, the old-fashioned paper ones that require licking, sticking, and hoping the Postal Service is feeling ambitious this week. But holiday errands have a talent for slowing you down, almost like the universe whispering, “Relax. You’re not getting out of this line any faster anyway.” So we waited. And while we waited, we talked (Are you surprised?). Because the Post Office is one of the few places where people still look up from their phones long enough to talk . . . Maybe it's because they're holding packages. It’s the modern town square: part civic duty, part free entertainment, part sociology experiment. The discussion began with holiday specials streaming on Netflix, Paramount+, and other services during this time of year. One gentleman who has lived in Vista since 1958 told us,...
3 comments
Read more

A Holiday Reflection–Mother's Love

In this episode,  How a Mother’s Love Built My Memories– A Holiday Reflection As this holiday season approaches and the world buzzes with shopping, planning, and busy schedules, I find myself embracing something wonderfully simple: taking a moment to pause. Not to check off a list or recharge devices, but to breathe deeply, remember fondly, and honor the person and place that have shaped my sense of home long before I had the words for it. This year, after regaining my strength from a lingering post-travel fog, my mind didn’t wander to exotic destinations or future adventures. It drifted backward—across oceans and time—to Cuba, Illinois, in the early 1960s, and to the woman whose love built the foundation of my world: Mauricette Elaine (Bontemps) Ball. My Mom . We came to Cuba after leaving La Rochelle, France, in 1959—a transition so dramatic I only appreciate its enormity now. My mother, barely in her mid-twenties, stepped off that plane and into the Midwest with a courage that s...
1 comment
Read more