A Foolish plea

The forgotten few

By LICKING SASSAFRAS

A 7-year-old child sits at a table, a party hat resting crookedly on her head. A half-eaten piece of cake sits in front of her, but she has no appetite now. All around her are boxes, empty boxes, which were disguised in brightly colored paper. Their cheerful colors can no longer hide the emptiness within. The faces around her are blurry as they blend into one huge, mocking grin. And she cannot block from her ears the laughter, the cruel laughter that she tries so hard to not let bother her.

As the girl picks up the last wrapped box, her heart leaps; it is heavy. A true grin illuminates her face as her guests, now silent, look on. She tears through the paper to reveal a small box. She plunges her hands inside and withdraws her only gift—a bag of rocks. As she stares at it in cruel disappointment, the laughter begins once again.

This cruelty may sound like fiction, but it is all too true. Every year a group of people must deal with this torture, or sometimes with an even worse form of it. This is a group of people whose plight has been ignored for years. It is continually mocked and constantly humiliated, yet nothing has been done to stop it. There is no law that protects it against the harassment, no bill that addresses the constant discrimination of these people. These forgotten few are the April Fools’ Day babies.

As young children, the discrimination is already evident. When asked by peers when their birthdays are, they innocently reply, “April 1st.” That clever play on words, “You’re born on April Fools’ Day? You must be a fool!” often follows. Then there is that timeless classic line, “April Fools’ Day? Well that explains a lot.” The snickering and laughter that follow are enough to ensure that these children will not be so quick to answer that question again.

Even if a person is not taunted about the unusual birthday, the other responses are just as bad. The jokes, such as, “When your mother told your father about you, he must have thought she was joking!” is one such popular response. Even if nothing nasty is said, once their birthdays are known, April Fools’ Day babies are marked for life. The harassment is bearable; although instead of stopping, it becomes much worse.

As April Fools’ Day babies grow older and begin to celebrate their birthdays with peers, the real trouble begins. Scenes like the one described above are common, even expected. Other variations on the empty box trick include filling a large box with progressively smaller empty boxes, wrapping up a gag gift or broken toy, or the ever-popular not bringing a present at all. Then there is the trick where every guest shows up two hours late, and the one where everybody “forgets” your birthday. These are the tricks that even your friends play on you.

Once the word is out on an April Fools’ Day baby’s birthday, the hope for a normal life ends. Because one is born on that day, others make it their personal mission to “get” you. They may try to prank others as well, but it is the one whose birthday falls on this day who bears the brunt of the pranks. Imagine, as an insecure high school student, instead of having your locker decorated with birthday balloons and candy, like other students, having it decorated with Christmas balloons and candy that you hate just because your birthday happens to fall on this day.

As an adult, these pranks lessen, but never cease. A weary acceptance is reached by the April Fools’ Day babies as they hear the same tired jokes over and over. They are attacked with pranks year after year on their birthday and realize they will never be given presents in a normal fashion, if they receive them at all.

This is a problem that has been brushed aside for far too long. Never again should April Fools’ Day babies fear that dreaded question, “When is your birthday?” No longer should a day that is usually filled with joy be burdened with fear and horror for these people. They must no longer fear telling the truth about their birthday. Never again should April Fools’ Day babies be ashamed about a past they have no control over. It is time to put an end to the injustice.

April Fools’ Day babies must stand together as a united group. To do so, we must proudly speak of our heritage and announce our birthdays without fear before being asked. I am an April Fools’ Day baby. The little 7-year-old girl opening empty boxes was me. But no longer will I be ashamed or afraid to tell the truth. I no longer fear the empty taunts. I am an April Fools’ Day baby, and I am proud!