Eight tiny pink soldiers

Sushi. The word elicits thoughts of raw fish and seaweed, and to me a slight gag reflex is engaged. Needless to say I am not a fan. My wife however loves it.
There is a local sushi/steak house that provides us both with options. This time, however, I am determined to try something new.
To say that I am not adventurous with my food choices would be an understatement. Only recently have I discovered banana peppers. I don’t trust a vegetable with a fruits name. It is either lying, or caught in some herbivorous identity crisis. Either way it is totally untrustworthy. So for me to belly up to an amorphous, unknown, alien like food is a huge leap.
As we walk into the restauant the lights are dimmed. They say its for “ambience”, but I don’t believe it. I know it’s so you can’t see how truly disgusting the food is.
We sit down and begin looking over the menu.
“What do you normally get?” I ask.
“Well, I like the spicy tuna roll and the California roll.” My wife replies.
“What’s in the California?” I inquire thinking this sounds like a safe choice.
“It’s vegetables, no meat.” She replys knowing I’m not a fan of a meatless meal.
“No meat?” I say
“No meat, but the spicy tuna roll is good and its fully cooked.” She tells me.
I look at her with great skepticism.
“I swear its cooked. Just try it. You’ll like it.” She cajoles.
I comply.
We order our meals and discuss our days as we wait for it to arrive. All the while my mind races, worrying about what awaits.
The food arrives. I stare at the enemy. It stares back at me. Eight tiny pink soldiers wrapped in white and black coats, a truly formidable opponent.
Before taking a bite I silently give myself a pep talk talk. The kind the coach always gives his team in the movies just before they go out and over some obscenely great odds.
“You can do this. The other guys may give you little of the sweet and sour, but you’ve got more bite. Now get out there and masticate like there’s no tomorrow! Masticate like you mean it!”
Alright here we go. I open my mouth and engulf the fork full. Not chopsticks. That would be just too adventurous.
“Mmmmm, this actually really good!” I rudely say with a mouth full.
It’s not slimy or gross. Spicy with a slightly tangy after taste. I consume the entire roll.
This experience has changed me. I have been upgraded. No longer a food recluse, I am now a food hermit.