The Value of Tomfoolery and Pranks: Part 1

Parents today face greater pressures from the outside world than ever before. Finding a way to add some levity within one’s family life provides a bit of respite.

I couldn’t resist the opportunity to prank a neighbor. Doing so with my son in tow absolves me of any wrongdoing whatsoever. I recommend you do the same whenever the opportunity arises.

When we planted them, our limelight bushes were two-feet tall. They have come to consume the entire side of our house, which was the intent behind our plantings.

Given I was the one to slug it out with mother nature, where I had to rip out tree roots, dislodge rocks and battle ivy vines that were three-layers deep, these plants represent my babies. They are loyal, they always produce flowers and they are easy to maintain. When I clip them in the autumn months, the stems can be five-feet tall. I clipped one after it wilted and stuck it in a front yard bush just to spite my wife.

I rather enjoyed that. So every year, I do the same thing to irk my better half. Trust me, she knows how to get even.

Having more free time than expected this September, I decided to mess with my neighbor and left two stalks beside her garage. One dangled from a light post, the other beside one of her bushes. She laughed but neglected to get even with me.

That was a mistake.

With over 60 stemmed and wilting flowers, what’s a father with free time supposed to do?

Involve his son, who is being groomed to be a prankster himself – just like both his parents.

Shortly after pranking our neighbor I clipped seven more flowered stems. I used the same method and stuck them in my front lawn bushes to dry out. I was surprised how stiff the stems got when they dried, so much so that I thought I could embed them in the lawn.

So I did. Now, two stemmed flowers block the path leading up to her front door. Easy to remove and I’m curious to see how she responds.

The plan is to stick all seven stemmed flowers on the lawn leading up her driveway. That way, when she comes home from work, she’ll see the damn dried flowers sticking out to greet her! I’ll leave a note as well to say we’ll remove them at her request, just to be polite.

My son will be witness to and involved, which I can cite if and when the neighbor is irritated in any way. As noted previously, pranks that are bestowed on anyone in the presence of a child absolves the parent of any wrongdoing.

Check back in a week to read part two of, ‘The Value of Tomfoolery and Pranks.’