Joe's big dare

There's a boy in our ward named Joe.  He's 11.  One day I asked Joe what his favorite restaurant was.

Later at a social event, I found out that there was a type of food that Joe didn't really like. ("It's a texture thing.")  He hadn't even tried many within its variety.  I was shocked!  It was a dietitian's nightmare! ;)  So I DARED him.  With the incentive of treating him to his favorite meal at Jimmy Mac's.  That's right, I dared him to eat fruit.

Into a small cup, I dropped 4 small pieces of fruit.  He liked the blueberry, and endured the pineapple and honeydew.  With his faced tipped forward toward the floor, he pleaded, "no, I don't want to try anymore", but his big brother and I pressured him into taking that last piece:

"Try it; come on it's just one bite; you're sooo close; a little piece of fruit won't hurt you."

When he ate the cantaloupe and nearly gagged, I almost felt guilty, imagining that I was some teen offering him drugs and he gave in.

Buuuuut, it was fruit.  Success!-- he now knows that he likes blueberries!

Today we finally completed my end of the deal.  He got his ribs (YIKE$$$), and our chaperon (Shara, his 15 year-old sister) and I ate fries and the free bread.  I enjoyed our conversations.  They talked about their lives, their feelings about things, what they face at school, and why they do the things they do.  I mean really, isn't this what it's all about?  

 
Shara: now let's get you to try some vegetable

Joe: No!

Shara: But what if you get another one of these? (pointing to his meal)

Joe: Well, yeah then!

The moral of the story is: Don't do drugs? Don't be a bully?  Don't give in?  Eat fruit?  I'll let you decide.