The Risk in Judging by Appearances.

I bought a pack of six small fruit pies today. It purportedly contained two apple pies, two apple and blackberry pies, and two cherry pies. Tonight I fancied having a cherry pie with my coffee because the only American TV character ever to have any substantial influence on me was Agent Dale Cooper with his cherry pie and coffee. I’ve never lost the urge.

I opened the box and saw that four of the pies had little images of fruit embossed on the pastry cap. Two looked like mixed fruit which I assumed were the apple and blackcurrant, two looked like cherries, and the other two pies were plain. I chose one with cherries on it. It was apple.

And I told a lie. The Rev Jim from Taxi also had an influence on me. Although I didn’t realise it at the time, he was to become something of a role model for later life. His line ‘you mean I’m right?!’ was arguably the funniest line I ever heard in an American comedy. The second funniest came after he admitted to his co-workers that he once gave his last snort to a friend of his. ‘That was very generous of you, Jim,’ said one of his listeners. ‘I bet it made you feel good.’ ‘Sure did,’ says Jim. ‘He thought he could fly and jumped off a cliff.’