The April of the Fool
Some context first: This piece was penned on April 1, 2004.
Big in the news those days was the Mel Gibson film, The Passion of the Christ, with its brutally intense scourging scenes. Hence my statement below: I’m almost tempted to bring out a designer collection called “The Fashion of The Christ” with my spring lineup of Flog Togs™. Likewise, my title was phrased “The April of the Fool” for better parody through matching prosody.
Some reflection later: Today is April 1, 2020.
It’s sixteen years since I published this piece and little of what I had announced has come to pass. Whoa, sixteen years, some extremely challenging ones, to be sure, but still…
Well, once again, I launch anew: The April of the Fool.
The April of the Fool
Here’s a heads up from one whose head has been down.
Welcome to April, the month of springtime, my birthday, rebirth, Easter, and resurrection. After a year of my life being shattered, with the shards mired in crap and watered with salt tears, the broken bits have begun to blossom. So many shoots of creativity are coming through that I could be happily cast as the blooming idiot.
You might recall from my April Fools’ Fable of five years ago, the conversation between The Fool, The Priest, and The Magician. It seems that my imagination has once again been captivated by the insight of The Fool: “Everything is make-believe, we make what we believe.”
Expect from me in this month of April that I will create content and characters like crazy. From the imagination of imagiNed will spring multiple personalities and personas. Yes, there will be a veritable Easter Parade of imaginary characters, my imaginary friends. Let me remind you that it’s perfectly OK to have imaginary friends, but having imaginary enemies means you’re paranoid.
Leading the parade will be Reverend Ned, and his new religion of Utilitarianism, or whatever works. Don’t worry, I haven’t become that tiresome friend who found religion, simply a man who founded one. This new religion will be all inclusive and universally uplifting, and, like so much of contemporary Christianity, with an undercurrent of commercialism. I’m almost tempted to bring out a designer collection called “The Fashion of The Christ” with my spring lineup of Flog Togs™.
After hiding out for so long, I am finally returning to public speaking, but as a parody of my former self, in the persona of Ernest Awful, that purveyor of pompous platitudes in presentations peppered with the three “P”s. You know: “Purpose, Passion, People” or “Partnership, Performance and Profit” or “Pride, Patriotism, Peace… or possibly Pre-emptive war.” You get the idea, Ernest means well but his shtick is as stale as last month’s muffin.
Oh, there’s so many characters that I can’t keep them from coming out. There’s Mediocrities, the Greek philosopher and Greek olive pitter whose life and philosophy are the pits. There’s Detox Dopra, the spaced out drug rehab guy that gets all these esoteric insights into life and being. Ah, the April of The Fool, so freeing and so foolish.
Yes, after being down for so long, I have finally decided to stand up and do stand up. The rumors of my enrollment in Comedy College are just that, rumors. However, they happen to be true. Stay tuned for one of my many incarnations coming to you from a stage, website, CD, radio or TV station soon. It all begins today, the first day of The April of The Fool.
Ah, so good to be real, to tell the absurd truth and have the whole world think you are kidding.

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