Truth in Fortune Cookies

We had take-out Chinese the last night my cousin was visiting. No one was especially inclined -- besides me -- to enjoy the fortune cookies at the end.

I am a sucker for fortune cookies, untraditional though they may be. I am not necessarily a believer in the fortunes -- because my local restaurant seems less given to fortunes than commentary, perhaps -- but I like the taste and texture and ever since I got one that said "beware of bananas," I've been bemused by them.

This week's were perhaps truer than most. I picked a cookie and took it out of the cellophane and broke it -- and it fell on the floor -- to be instantly consumed by Mitch who is vigilant when it comes to anything on the table that might have gravitational pull.

The only thing he left was the fortune. It said: "Your mind is precise and discriminating."

I think that's why I dropped it. Not that Mitch is more precise and discriminating than I am, but there is that possibility.

Still I am not given to precision or, in those terms, discrimination. I'm pretty waffly and not exactly detail oriented. Mitch is very detail oriented when it comes to food (though not precisely discriminating, though at least he didn't eat the paper).

So I opened the next one. It didn't fall on the floor. I ate it (minus the paper).

It said: "You are a dreamer and your thinking is inspirational."

See what I mean?

How true is that? If it had said, "You will never get to the bottom of the mess in your office," it would have been only slightly more accurate.

Then just to prove whether or not it was a fluke, I opened the third one (I told you no one else wanted any), and it said: "You believe in the goodness of people."

Of course I do. Three out of three.

So, I'm a believer.

Now I just wish they would print plots on fortune cookies. It would make life much easier. On the other hand, maybe they have.

If a precise and discriminating hero met a dreamy inspirational heroine who believed in the goodness of people . . .

There's certainly potential for conflict at least.