Confessions Of A 50 Year Old Mischief-Making Brat

I’ll admit it: I’m a troublemaker. A brat, really. I push limits, stir the pot, and I do it just to make people laugh.

Case in point: The Hair Glue Incident.

When my son, Nick, was an infant, I chopped off my hair. My shoulder-length hair. And not just a trim—above the ears short. My husband, JP, is not a fan of short hair, but at that point my hair was just one more thing to deal with. My daughter, Mae, was 4 ½, Nick had health issues and developmental delays, and I barely had time to pee, let alone brush my hair.

So off I went to the salon with my brother’s girlfriend. And wow, was it short. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t actually easier than long hair. But I digress…

On the way home, we stopped at Walmart. For what, you ask? Hair glue. Because if you’re going to cut it all off, why not spike all of it just to really freak the hubby out?

In the car, I went full porcupine. It was a look.

When we walked into the house, JP’s face was priceless. He just stared at me… forever. Finally, he asked if I liked it. I said I did—loved it, actually. Then I asked what he thought.. His cautious reply: “It’s… interesting. Not what I was expecting.”

That was it—I burst out laughing and confessed what I had done.

Mean? Maybe. Funny as hell? Absolutely.

But here’s the thing: sometimes my little pranks backfire. Like the time I gave my mum a nickname. And not just any nickname—Bob.

We were on a day bus trip to Yankee Candle in Deerfield, MA. There were six of us: my mum, Nancy, my bestie Amy and her mom, plus my bestie Claudia and her daughter. Claudia had never met my mum, so when she blanked on her name and asked me, I saw an opportunity.

“It’s Nancy… but you can call her Bob,” I said.

Claudia looked horrified. She refused at first. I insisted: “She loves it. Everyone calls her Bob—it’s her nickname.” The best part? My mum had no idea I told Claudia this.

So all day long, Claudia called her Bob. And my mum? She answered every single time. No hesitation, no correction—just rolled with it like she’d been “Bob” her whole life.

Two days later, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I asked my mum if she wondered why Claudia had called her Bob all day. She said no—working in customer service, people called her all kinds of crazy names. She just went with it.

And here’s the punchline: that was five years ago. And my mum’s nickname? Still Bob. I never thought it would stick, but it did—and it makes me laugh every time.

I don’t plan these pranks. I just see the opportunity.. And if the person (or people) involved are good sports, I go for it. Maybe that’s why most people who know me say “I can’t with you”. What they can’t do? I just don’t know!

So there you have it—I’m a mischievous, nickname-giving, trouble-making brat. And I’ll keep at it, because life’s too short not to laugh… even if the joke’s on me.

⭐ Still causing trouble at 50? Excellent.
If you’ve ever pulled a prank that turned itself around faster than your new haircut, you’re among friends.
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Because sometimes, the best laugh is the one that lands squarely on you. 💭