It’s funny how certain memories never fade, no matter how much time has passed. As I sit on a bus today 31 March, the day before —April Fools’ Day—I’m suddenly transported back to another bus ride, 40 years ago. It’s a memory that still haunts me, makes me laugh, and somehow shaped who I am.

Imagine breaking your arm and thinking, Eh, I’ll walk it off. You wouldn’t. You’d rush to the hospital, get a cast, and do whatever it...