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While I was having a conversation with Steve our youth minister after church tonight, Sam and one of his friends came by us wrestling over a hat.

Steve said "here's trouble", then asked what they were fighting over. Sam said that his friend wouldn't give his hat back. His friend said that Sam wouldn't give his hat back.

At this point my brain scrolled through the list of things to say. I couldn't take a side, because I didn't know who's hat it was. I didn't want to participate in their boyish tussle either. And then somehow it clicked. I'd seen this problem solved before.

So I said "I know I'll cut the hat in half and give one half to each of you". Sam quickly replied "yeah, do it" - oblivious to what he'd just walked into. Steve picking up on it instantly said "well we know its not your hat Sam" and he promptly let go as Steve and I lost it.

I could barely believe he fell for it. I didn't think a Solomon style comment would ever have worked.

The irony was that Pippett had started the sermon earlier tonight talking about learning lessons from other people's mistakes.