I am an incredibly gullible person. When I was in elementary school, I was the kid who would look outside when someone said, “It’s snowing!” in the middle of May. Since I’ve gotten older, things haven’t gotten any better.
Being gullible is bad enough on a regular day, but on April 1, when tons of people are focusing their energies on preying on the gullibility of others, it really really stinks.
And living in the 21st century, when millions of people have potential access to millions of other people via the internet, it just gets worse and worse.
Last year, I got duped by one of my friends who sent me an email saying that he and his wife were pregnant. Later I got really excited when I read on an Atlanta Braves blog that the Braves, who were desperate for a left fielder at the time, had managed to get Carl Crawford in a trade for practically nothing.
This year, April Fools’ Day caught me unawares yet again. This morning I was reading an Arkansas Razorbacks Message Board and was halfway convinced that Darren McFadden had re-enrolled in school at the University of Arkansas and was coming back for his senior season. Since then, I’ve twice clicked on a link that I thought looked interesting only to end up on YouTube watching a video of Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up (apparently this is a fairly popular prank).
April Fools’ Day will end for me in a little under nine hours. I can’t wait.
