Morticia, You are not alone 🤗
I was introduced to it in my twenties, since them I'm kind of addicted. You eat bit by bit, only the ends of the leaf where it touches the "fruit". You can't eat the hairy part of it that unfolds when you work your part to the center. But the heart is also nice and can be bought in cans (that's what they put on pizza if you order with artichoke).
But you cannot compare the canned artichoke heart with a fresh one. I e.g. don't like it canned, I can't stand the taste. But steamed or even raw is so delicious!! Some people serve steamed artichoke with sauce hollandaise for dipping, that's also good but less healthy because of all the fats in the sauce..