What, can't take a joke?!?

Happy Halloween! Oh... April Fools! Hahaha... ha..ha... wasn't funny? Oh well. There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who can take jokes and those who should be able to but can't. So, what's the difference?

So, summary of devious deeds today and how the lucky beneficiaries reacted. First of all, I got into my pajamas but quickly realized the pant legs were sewn shut. "Haha," I thought, "that's clever!" My leatherman was able to resolve that quickly and I climbed in bed to find that someone had put every piece of candy I currently own inside my bed, pillow, sheets. Too lazy to do too much about it and not realizing the extent of how much candy there actually was, I had a 'rough sleep' with 'sweet dreams' if you know what I mean. Not disgruntled and slightly amused, another chuckle came at roughly 3am when a carefully hidden alarm clock sounded off in my room. After not too much searching, I located it and shut it off. The same thing happened at 3:30, although with much more difficulty in locating the clock. These were quite clever pranks, and they gave me a laugh even in the middle of the night. I woke up (without any unasked for aid) and kindly made my family breakfast before Conference, consisting of multi-colored pancakes, green eggs and ham, and flavorless orange juice. Some appreciated the gesture while others didn't. I made sure to clean everything up afterwards, leaving no duty for my parents. The rest of the day proceeded near uneventful until my family left, leaving my sister and I at home. During that time we turned the couch 180 degrees and laid it on its back, giving the false illusion it was right side up with the 'bottom' mysteriously suspended a foot above the ground. We also switched drawers in my brother's dresser, swapped my sister's bedspread, and placed wooden blocks under my other sister's mattress, inclining her bed to an angle of about 15 degrees, a hopefully noticeable difference. To scare my mom and repay her for the pant leg incident, I placed a large handful of coins on the top slat of the open blinds in her room so that when they were closed gravity would take care of the rest.

And now, the reactions. I thoroughly enjoyed the pranks I received. I love to see the cunning, devious things that people come up with, even if it requires a little personal cleanup. It's fun to have a few surprises! Fortunately, my dad and brother are the same way. My dad didn't mind $2.79 tumbling unexpectedly onto the tile windowsill, especially when mom's sudden adrenaline rush in response to the noise caused a less than quiet response. My brother didn't mind green eggs! It was only when a few certain people realized our actions that things started to get interesting. My younger sister complained to my mom that her bed was backwards, who in turn wasn't too happy. After my mom discovered each little thing, she grew more and more upset. Meanwhile, my dad was having a ball!

People respond to jokes and pranks differently. Excluding those jokes and deeds that are truly destructive to one's emotions, self-esteem, and character they can be quite entertaining for both parties. However, in my younger sister's case, she was all for the most messy and time-consuming jokes. She loved seeing me scour my bed for the last few suckers and candies, yet couldn't stand her bedspread being tucked in at the wrong end. Maybe people can't take a joke because they're upset that they didn't think of it first, or think they should have outsmarted it. Maybe they can't take the embarrassment that comes with it. Or as for my mom, being the wonderful homemaker she is, feels like she has to take care of the house and gets upset when we make 'messes'. It's all about perspective.

Now, regarding humor in general, I have learned through frustrating trial and error that on some days my family just isn't funny. I tell a joke I told my friends at school and they are unresponsive. Ok, so I make some wisecrack meant to not cause any harm, and we have one less person at the table followed by a reminder from my parents. Through this, I have learned that in order to joke with people, you must establish a firm relationship with them. With younger children, this is needed more often than with teenagers or adults. When people trust that you will never compromise their emotional well-being for a joke it is easier to lighten up a little. Humor is best when it unites people in a common emotion of laughter and doesn't single anyone out or make them the target. Not to say that anyone's perfect, for we've all seen a joke go too far. But in the end, the choice is ours. To laugh or not to laugh. That is the solution.