The Greatest Story Ever Told

This is not a classic funny story. This is The Classic Funny Story.

About four years ago, I was out at a diner once with my family in NJ (gotta love NJ diners) when we were handed the dessert menus. Looking through the menu, I saw an item I had never seen before: tiramisu. So I vocalized this: "Hmm, tiramisu." My mom, dad, and sister all instantly say "You wouldn't like that."

Now, you have to know a little bit about me. I usually don't like it when people tell me what I will and won't like based on parameters I don't know. For example, if someone tells me I won't like a particular entree because it has mushrooms, then that's cool. But if someone says "Oh, that, you won't like that" then I might get a little peeved.

So when my family told me that I wouldn't like tiramisu, I was a little peeved. I decided to show them: "How would you know? As a matter of fact, I love tiramisu. It's one of my favorite desserts." My sister, Kristina, didn't buy it: "Do you know what's in tiramisu?" I didn't, but I did know how to avoid the question: Hit her with another question. "Do you know what's in vanilla ice cream?" It worked, and I ordered my tiramisu.

As I stated, I had no idea what was in tiramisu. To understand my dilemma, you need to know one key fact:

I hate coffee and all things coffee.

When I took that first bite of espresso-soaked lady fingers with my family's eyes on me, it took every ounce of my strength to continue chewing unabated, smile, and say "Mmmmmm!" This time, my mother couldn't resist: "So, you like it, huh?" Hook, line, and sinker! "Of course I do, I love it!" They finally believed me when I finished the entire thing in three minutes (I had to eat it that fast or my taste buds would've revolted and marched on my brain).

So we go home, and all is well. However, I'm still a little annoyed at this whole tiramisu nonsense. That's when I decide to kick it up a notch. Everytime I ate out with my family I order tiramisu... for the next 1.5 years.

The strange thing is over those 18 months, I actually got to like the taste of tiramisu.