Whose fortune was it?!
What are the stories that your family/friends tell over and over? What situation are you in, that makes that story come up?
Steven and the fortune (cookie). This story will never die.
It comes up almost every time we eat in an Asian restaurant (derrrr) with his family.
First, a little back story. Steven is meticulous about everything the method in which fortune cookies should be claimed. When the waiter brings them to the table, don’t just grab one. Steven will tell you which one was meant to be “yours,” based on the cookie’s placement. (This makes him sound like a jerk, but it’s really just amusing).
And second part of the back story, Steven and I used to save fortunes that we liked, with the idea that we’d frame them or do something cool with them someday (yeah… that hasn’t happened).
So. This was way back in the day. We weren’t even married yet. Early 2000s. We were eating at a favorite Asian restaurant in Steven’s hometown, with all of his family (six of us).
The fortune cookies came out. I ignored the rule and just grabbed my cookie to eat. Everyone grabbed theirs to eat.
We were reading our fortunes to each other, and I had a particularly fabulous one. The story would be better if I remembered what it said, but you will see why I don’t, in a bit.
So we’re reading them, and after I say mine and talk about how fabulous it is, I say I am going to keep it and start to put it in my wallet. Steven says that it should have been his fortune. That I grabbed the one that was meant for him (based on the placement, and I am sure, whatever fabulous thing the fortune said). I argue back that it’s mine and I am keeping it.
Then he grabs the fortune out of my hand, puts it in his mouth, and eats it. Claiming it was his fortune.
Everyone at the table laughs hysterically. I was in shock that he would eat a piece of paper just to be funny, but I was laughing too.
And that is the fortune story. You can see why receiving a fortune cookie (after you are told which is yours, of course) at a restaurant would trigger this story. And you can see why I can’t remember what the fortune said – I only had it for so long before someone ate it.
The funny thing now, is that a lot of fortune cookies have eggs in them, so I don’t eat them if they do, and don’t really get fortunes anymore (and sometimes, fortunes are more like advice or a statement, and that is kind of lame). So I’ve stopped collecting the ones I like.
Anyway. One more question. Hee hee. Do you get (sometimes get) annoyed when the same stories are told over and over?
Ha ha. Sometimes it bugs me, to hear the same stories over and over when I have nothing to do with them. I know, that’s awful. Especially cause I know that I do that to other people. And I know that people are just reminiscing. But sometimes you don’t find the same things amusing/entertaining that other people did (and sometimes you do and don’t mind hearing it a few times). And you’re sick of hearing about it. Again. Ha. So tell me if I am doing that to you.
Themocracy
hahah I love that story! I didn’t know you had to actually EAT your fortune for it to come true. 🙂
My parents are notorious for telling stories over and over and overrrr again. It kills me that each time they start telling it they act like we have never heard it before! Dad, I’ve heard it 10 times a year for 30 years. Yes, you’ve told me that one. hahah.
We have a couple good ones that come up every now and again. The easiest one to explain is when Kevin, our friend Chris and I were playing with a rubber bouncy ball and Chris hid it on Kevin. (This is making it sound like we were 5, but we were in High School) Kevin kept asking where it was and Chris said that Kev’s dad took it and put it in his shirt pocket. So Kev runs up to his dad, who is just dozing in his easy chair and has no idea what’s going on, and starts grabbing at his shirt pocket. His dad thought he was getting frisky! hahah.
Now you know!!! 😀
LOL. So it sounds like your parents are telling “back in the day” stories?!
Ha! When did Kevin finally figure out it was on him?!
Do you think you have to actually eat the cookie in order to claim your fortune? I usually grab my cookie, read the fortune, and then maybe take a bite or two of the cookie.
I never thought about it, but I guess since I don’t take the fortune now w/o eating it, I think you are supposed to 😉
Once upon a long time ago, my aunt, who was a visiting nurse at the time, was over at my house for dinner. Her beeper went off right as the meal started, and I immediately jumped up, rounded up the dog, and made a beeline for the door. I thought her beeper was the smoke detector! My aunt loves to tell this story, but personally I’d be quite all right if it stopped being told 😛
LOL! Ha ha, ahh, family members who won’t stop telling stories… even when you ask. But why were you so worried about what could have been a smoke detector?
Once we got Chinese food when grandma and some older aunts were visiting and the fortune cookies must have been made for a bachelor party because they had filthy porno-type sayings in them. Now THAT was hilarious. At least now it is.
Ha! Please tell me you saved some of these?!
That’s pretty damn funny.
I have to start eating things that say I will win the lottery. For reals, yo. Race in Alaska on me!
I hear the same stuff all of the time from Mark’s family. Like, one time he ate too many strawberries and pooped himself silly at the park and needed his dad to help but dad didn’t want to come and Mark’s sister was the intermediary …
Yeah. I just shared that on the Internets. YAY!
My grandma will tell me things but I just think it’s because she is old.
Ha ha ha. And are there photos from this event?!
(Some) elderly people get a pass 🙂
I always thought that you have to choose your cookie because that’s who the fortune was meant for… Learn something new everyday 😉
Did that fortune come true for either of you?
A coworker told me she and another employee went to lunch and had fortune cookies. When my coworker opened hers and read it, the other employee grabbed it from her and said “that’s not your fortune!” Something about travel… Such weird folks out there. 😉
I don’t know if it came true or not cause I forgot what it was awhile after he ate it. LOL!!!!
Ha ha ha! But, she didn’t eat it? So it probably won’t come true. Sorry. Ha!
I only hate hearing the same story told over again if it’s told more than once in the same evening. Or, you know, if it makes me look stupid. LOL
Ha!
Um, this post really made me smile because I totally have fortunes (that resonated with me) stashed EVERYWHERE. Among several, I have two in view on my desk at work (one under the glass on my desk, one on a cork board). One in my wallet in front of my insurance card and apparently even one in my business card holder! I only knew about that last one because it fell out today when I went to go exchange business cards with someone–I quickly picked up and thought to myself “RANDOM” because I don’t know how that one ended up there. Especially because that particular fortune was the last one my grandmother received before she died and it had resonated with her so she kept it (she always kept fortunes hanging around)
So yeah, TMI on that last part especially–maybe it was some other kind of sign, if you believe in those sorts of things (which I do)
Aww, I love that you kept the last one your grandmother received and that she kept them around! It’s funny how these mass produced little fortunes can mean just the right thing to us at the right time 🙂
Ha ha! Steven’s not alone, my family does the fortune placement too! You’re supposed to take the one closest to ” pointing at you” (i.e., the pointy end where the cookie comes together).
I do think more fortune cookie fortunes are just statements vs actual facts. My Mom insisted I keep the one I got once that said “You would make a great lawyer.” Um, not!!
We call those retold stories “tapes.” Like when my grandma first started suffering from dementia, she was “replaying tape #11.” I have friends who have “tapes” too. We have a running joke in the house about Heather’s three stories. 😀
That is how he assigns them, too!
Ha! I love the use of “tapes”! I might have to incorporate that… or at least laugh about it inside when it starts happening again 🙂
I love this story — you probably like it because it shows that Steven is both fun AND meticulous.
Exactly! I love it when he is goofy. Less so when uber meticulous 😉
We have a family story about my husband making himself sick overindulging at a nice restaurant that often comes up when we go to a nice restaurant. 🙂
Those fortunes that are just proverbs are incredibly annoying.
Ha! I bet he LOVES hearing that one again and again.
And they are disappointing!
I love this story! It’s hilarious.
Thanks 🙂
Haha best story ever!! I think the best counter-argument would be to tell him that destiny cannot be altered and messed with, so whichever cookie you grabbed is the one you were “supposed” to have 🙂
My life motto/favorite quote was actually one I first came across from a fortune cookie – ” Your first and last love is self-love”. I still have the original fortune hanging up in my old room!
Ha! We talked about it more last night, and he said he ate it because, “If he can’t have it, no one can.” LOL!!!
I LOVE THAT!!!
That Steven story is awesome. And I agree with him that there are cookies that are meant for people or a more ceremonious way to distribute them than to just grab them. Sadly I don’t know the ceremony so I just grab. However, you are supposed to eat the fortune to make it come true.
It does suck that so many are just advice or maxims instead of declarations of good luck. But that makes the good ones that much better.
And yes I hate repetitively told stories. Usually my mom. And I know it will only get worse as my son grows up and my mom shares them with him. Oy.
Maybe he could teach me the ceremony and I could write a blog post on it! Ha ha ha. What, you are supposed to eat the fortune… or the cookie? Are you a paper eater, too?
Ha! Oh gosh. And she can tell them many times to Nathan cause he might not remember them the first time! Although, kids seem to have pretty awesome memories for some things. Just be like “Mom! He remembers you told him that one!” 🙂