Pranksters

Yesterday I was walking down the street with headphones on, jamming to some tunes, enjoying the nice, sunny afternoon. My peace was interrupted by a car jam-packed with burly-looking dudes (not kids, but adults) who were screaming and pointing out the window at me, "Watch out -- behind you!"

I thought they yelled something about a dog on the loose, too, but regardless, I stopped in my tracks and looked behind me with what I can only assume was a freaked-out expression on my face. I also might have jumped in the air a little bit.

There was nothing there, and the group of guys burst into laughter and applause, high-fived each other, and sped away.

My first instinct was to be mad about this, but then I was like, "Whatever." The fact is that it was kind of funny -- albeit mean-spirited -- and it's not like I'm some old lady with a walker who could've had a heart attack. But the whole episode did get me thinking about how there are very few pranks I can recall ever being involved in.

Back in high school there was a once-a-year powder-puff football game where the junior and senior girls played each other, and in the nights leading up to it there would be the TP-ing of yards and whatnot. I was along for the ride in at least one of those adventures. And I do believe there were a few crank calls I was party to that were funny at the time, though probably pretty lame to whomever was on the receiving end (I think we would always just hang up rather than say anything). But there were never truly nasty goings-on like egging, dropping/exploding dog-poo in a bag on someone's porch, or any of the other more popular and mainstream mischievous childhood acts I can think of. Not even any ding-dong-ditching. I was pretty innocent on the whole.

Usually I was more interested in harmless experiment-type exercises, which I don't really think could be considered true pranks. Like when my brother and I would drive around in the pedal car and try to see who could get more people to wave to us. Or when me and my friends would run up to random people at gas stations or in parking lots and greet them with nonsense phrases like "Hello Yellow!" to see what their reactions were and whatnot. I am realizing how dumb this is all sounding, so I will stop. But if you were ever a mean prankster, don't tell me about it because I will think less of you. Really, I will.

And to those full-grown men in the car who scared me yesterday: Yes, I laughed it off. But just remember, karma's a bitch!

- e