If I ever write an auto-biography, this story most likely will be there. It is a story about my life I thought you might find interesting. Many times when I tell my stories, people say, “You should write a book about that.” So, here’s a start…

2005 Germany -- One day a friend invited me to join his church group for a Thanksgiving lunch. (You know, one of those family pot luck dinners where everyone brings their favorite dish to share with everyone else.)

Anyway, during the meal one of the kids (Shawn) was picking at his dish and not eating much. His dad (Keith) asked him why he was not eating and Shawn replied, “I’m not hungry.” To that, Keith proceeded to explain to him that he really was NOT “not hungry,” because he still was drinking a lot of ice tea and soda pop. Keith further explained that if there is enough room in his stomach for the things he liked, there was room for the salad and vegetables Shawn had shoved to the side of his plate.

Shawn complied and ate a little more of his salad and vegetables, then finished off his second can of soda pop. A few minutes later, Shawn was back with a couple of cookies and another glass of ice tea. Keith immediately inquired, “Shawn, I thought you said you were full. How come you still have room for cookies and more to drink?”

Before Shawn could respond, I chimed in, “Hey Shawn, your dad doesn’t understand does he?” In response to my comment, Shawn looked puzzled and Keith asked, “Understand what?” I then proceeded to explain to everyone at the table that kids have special compartments in their stomachs designed for specific types of foods. As they become adults those compartments dissolve, thus supporting Keith’s theory about room for everything in a stomach.

But since Shawn was still a kid, he did not have this single cavern for everything in one place -- his stomach still had small salad and vegetable partitions and larger partitions for soda pop and cookies. So, when he said he was full, he just meant there was no more room for salad. He instinctively knew to have a balanced meal he would also have to fill up the soda pop and cookie partitions.

Everyone at the table laughed. Shawn’s mom said I should write down my explanation about kid stomachs -- so I did. And, you just read it.