Practical jokers

I hate practical jokes. Nothing practical about them. Like when people video someone who they've convinced won the lottery. And their glee when they tell the victim it was a prank. It's like a justification to be cruel to someone, at the victim's expense of course. Some people are really into practical jokes. Their idea of entertainment and amusement. I think those people have a mean streak in them somewhere, or a lack empathy.

Recently, while I was sick, no less, a prank was played on me. I heard a bird I'd never before heard and got as excited as if I'd won the lottery. After overexerting myself searching for the bird, running to the car for my heavy Canon and all, to document it, I discovered it was a plastic bird planted in a tree. Birders who've searched for a rare bird, then heard it, only to discover someone nearby was playing a recording of the bird will know how that feels. Luckily, I didn't trip and fall. My grand-kids had done it, and it wasn't their fault. They didn't know any better. They were put up to it by an adult whose judgement they trusted. My son scolded them for it, which I felt bad about.

Later, when I told my husband about it, he thought it was funny.  So I decided to research the subject online and discovered that a consensus is growing toward thinking of pranks as bad. That's reassuring. Anyone can prank. Doesn't take brains or good sense or anything. Just closet meanness. Children are often prone to pranks, but outgrow it as they develop empathy. So hopefully, as a society we'll outgrow it. But I know a lot of people never will.

I'm gradually recovering from my cold. Now my husband has it. What a terrible time to get sick when I not only wasn't able to enjoy the holiday with family, but more importantly, exposing them to my virus. I almost never get viruses so it must be a bad one. Or maybe my immune system is in decline. Hope not.