"It Is Fun To Have Fun..."

 

So when does a prank go too far? I would assume when someone gets hurt, so I'm on the fence regarding the latest trend with my pal, the cat in the hat. I'm not talking about the Mike Myers movie which was a true nightmare, and I believe that's the character these pranksters are using. They dress up like the cat and stand by grade schools, looking menacing, maybe even silly. Some just stand there, others make threats, which isn't cool, but I don't know what the threats are. I don't know what scares kids anymore. They've seen more horrific stuff than I probably have. The scariest I ever got at school, besides having Sister Mary Margaret Vajayjay come at me was when we were outside during recess doing the usual when all of a sudden half a dozen nuns came flying out of the school. There was a creek nearby and word swiftly got around that there was a hobo lingering in the wooded area by the creek. One nun held out sandwiches like she was making an offering. Another had a giant pointer as they spread out and quickly scanned the area. A homeless person was an anomaly back in my day. I honestly never encountered one until I was sixteen and went to Chicago on my own. It was an eye opener, but not as frightening as seeing a bunch of nuns dressed in the penguin habits calling out for the man to come forth. If there ever was a hobo, he wisely stayed invisible. 

A few years ago when I went to the Seattle Pike Place fish market to watch the guys toss fish around, I noticed a woman standing in the background. She didn't move and I was beginning to suspect it was a mannequin so I kept watching her as fish flew through the air. Good gravy, she's not blinking. I swear we stared at each for several minutes until finally she turned and chopped off a fish head. That was entertaining and a little scary.

I didn't like to be scared as a kid. I still have nightmares about Gort and will never forget, "Klaatu barada nikto." Big sister was babysitting and had decided, 'The Day the Earth Stood Still,' was a perfectly fine movie for a seven year old. 

If I saw the old cat standing still near my house I know I'd wave and probably laugh. I'd keep my distance however because ya gotta consider, "Who the hell sits at home and thinks this is a genius idea?" There's a bit of effort that goes into this process. One- the outfit. That's apparently easy around this time of year. Two- the location. Well, schools seems to be the spot. Unfortunately, kids don't do night school, so the scares might not be as hoped for. Three- the getaway. You better have good shoes and a car nearby. Those cat feet might be a problem but if you hear screaming it's best to run. 

I'm all for the prank, but a word of advice to you merry pranksters, keep it fun. Don't threaten anyone or even say a word. Remember these wise words...

"It is fun to have fun, but you have to know how." -The Cat