Court Jester

Another finger puppet I wear is the court jester. I call him the fool. When I slip on the fool I give myself permission to make mistakes, possibly making a jackass of myself. The fool is one of my most powerful toolkit additions:

• The fool answers to no-one, not even the king; The king welcomes the jester's barbs (most of the time anyway-- at a minimum the fool is tolerated).
• The fool spreads laughter and lightens up the work sessions.
• The fool reminds myself and others that work is play.
• The fool can disclose what everyone in a room is thinking, but too scared to voice, with humor and genuine warmth.

The fool acts in accordance with other toolkit items: the feather, the fish-eye lens, the telescope, the mirror, the heart, the yes/no medallion, the wishing wand, the wisdom box, the courage stick, the golden key ...