There is the obvious form of hunger, which causes one to dream about a plate of deliciousness that is sure to be the next meal. I often debate with my husband, Matt, about discerning between "tummy hunger" and "mouth hunger." There is a difference between truly needing sustenance and simply craving a certain flavor or texture in a absence of true hunger. Despite all of my adept explanations, my dear husband swears he still doesn't understand the distinction. This is obvious, as evidenced by the Hanzel-and-Gretel-esque trail of tortilla chips that crunch under my feet the morning after he has raided our cupboards late at night. *sigh*
But this time of year brings on another type of hunger as well... a hunger for competition. I find myself pushing a little harder to make that green light on my bike commute. The smack-talking picks up during the cribbage bouts with MFMG. I strive just a tick harder to complete my work before the five o'clock hour. This drive to be one step ahead of others...and myself...takes over on a daily basis.
Perhaps the best method of illustrating this concept is visually. In the following pictures you can see my older brother undergo each stage of hunger:
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| Hungry for competition (my dad was toeing off with his own plate of ribs) |
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| Tummy Hunger (Yeah! I'm famished!) |
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| Mouth Hunger (I'm miserably full but will keep eating because it tastes sooooo good!) |
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a cribbage game to win. ;-)
