Laugh at yourself a little on this April Fools’ Day

I clearly remember the way I was taken for a ride by the children of my locality on April Fools’ Day and how I was furious with them, even temporarily souring relations with my neighbours. That was three years ago. It was then that my mother told me not to take myself and life too seriously. “This way you’ll be able to live life better,” she said. And certainly, so it has been.

A lot of us think that living is serious business. Bogged down by responsibilities, we kill the ‘child’ inside us. Consequently, we are not able to enjoy life’s small moments — the innumerable occasions of everyday humour.

One must have a carefree attitude towards life. The ability to laugh at oneself as well as others’ foibles without hurting them is important to lead a stress-free life. Smiles and laughs are important for keeping yourself physically and mentally fit. And this is what April Fools’ Day teaches us, with its abundance of mischief, absurdities and inventive ideas.

Also, some of us are in the habit of thinking too highly of ourselves, so much so that we become averse to an easy laugh or smile. We must remember George Orwell, who said, “The aim of a joke is not to degrade the human being, but to remind him that he is already degraded.”

So, on this April Fools’ Day, let’s recall what Mark Twain said and smile, “The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.”

So long as little jokes remain harmless, it is perfectly all right to play the fool and become a part and parcel of laughs and smiles.