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It was a typical kind of lunchtime dare from one 6-year-old to another.

"I dare you to pour your glass of milk into your bowl of tomato soup," my neighbor friend suggested.

"Ewww…yuck," I thought. My immediate reaction was decided, "No way!" The combination seemed disgusting to me the instant that he tested whether I would taste the horrid concoction.

First, I had to add the milk and watch the hot, bright orange soupy cheer change into a paler, lukewarm liquid. I eventually agreed to pouring half my milk, about the equivalent of two swallows, into my bowl. After all…I had my limits to the "grossness" I could stand and I had to leave some milk to wash the dare down my throat.

Then, it came time to spoon the soup into my mouth and let the tomato milk taste touch my tongue.

My neighbor friend watched with fascination to see if, indeed, I would wince and ultimately swallow the sickening-sounding soup.

Much to my amazement, the flavor was only slightly altered from how it usually tasted. I easily finished my lunch and earned newfound respect from my playmate who could scarcely believe I could survive such a dastardly potion.

Looking back I realize the dare proved two points:

As 6-year-olds, we had a number of details yet to learn about cooking. Milk, I now know, is an acceptable ingredient to thin condensed soup.

The second lesson I learned from the taste test challenge is that when you fail to understand the inner makeup of any substance, be it soup or friendship or even a person you meet, then your opinion of that substance will be jaded by fear.

To know the true nature of any person, as with tomato soup in my case, you can benefit just by the knowing all of the elements that make it whole.