All Fools’ Day

Today, on All Fools’ Day, I’m launching into the blogosphere. A very appropriate day to begin! :)

It’s a day to remember the archetypal Fool – the innocent who represents beginnings and the realm of unknowing.

I don’t know where my wanderings will take me here, but I plan to celebrate stories and share reflections on various things that bubble up for me – while both enjoying and learning from the journey.  If others – you who are reading this – should also like to walk a part of the way with me, I’ll welcome your company.

There’s a great Wiki page on  All Fools’ Day – probably more than you’ve ever wanted to know. :)  I was fascinated to learn that the spirit of April Fools’ Day is alive and well in many other cultures around the world. And that one of the oldest prank days in the world is from Iran. There people play jokes on each other on the 13th day of the Persian New Year, which falls April 1 or April 2 and is called Sizdah Bedar.

However I admit I’m far more comfortable with the idea of an April Fool being someone who is starting on a quest for understanding,  rather than someone who is simply the victim of a prank. Practical jokes may be fun for the jokers,  but I believe a good rule of thumb is ‘it’s not a joke unless both people are laughing‘. And by that, I mean the kind of shared laughter that warms the spirit, not the kind that is gained at the expense of someone else’s wellbeing.

I know humour is a very subjective thing, and that people can laugh when uncomfortable or embarrassed – or even when frightened. Like a cat’s frightened purr perhaps. But from my point of view, the best kind of humour is that which is founded on warmth and a generous spirit. It’s an open invitation to be amused by the follies and foibles of human nature, including our own!

So as I start on my own Fool’s journey on this auspicious day, I’m looking forward to exploring the unknown and to sharing some laughter along the way.