I spent several years of my adolescence in a cultural and economic backwater called Sullivan County in northern Pennsylvania. With no substantive economic basis for survival, it limped along with the rest of Appalachia, beautiful and impoverished. Elephants went there to die.

If we define "normal" as "usual," then it was certainly normal for many of the farms to have no electricity and quite often, no running water. That, in turn, translates quite rapidly into no bathrooms. The so-called "backhouse" or "outhouse" was common in that part of the woods. It was as if the westward migration had eddied around that part of the country, leaving it as an island firmly entrenched in the technology and values of the turn of the century. Those of you who saw the motion picture "Deliverance" might have an idea of that culture.

While most folks were poor by our current standards, we never knew it and more importantly, we never felt impoverished. For the most part, we had a good time. You'd smile at our notion of a good time, but for us, it was hot! Saturday night. A dance! Often at the Grange Hall. Hard cider and soft women. Man, we used to strut!

There was a well-to-do farmer not far from us, a big Swede with two good-looking daughters. Most of the young guys my age were sniffing around them, trying to "make out." Both the sisters were strikingly attractive. Both big--about 5'10" or so, maybe 150 pounds--Amazonian we might say now. One was blond and the other a brunette. I was dating the blond and was in lust, but I would not have thrown her sister out of bed. (She was big enough, however, to have thrown ME out of bed!)

One night I double dated with some guy. I can't remember him, but I certainly remember everything else. We'd been drinking beer on the way to the dance at the Grange Hall, arriving there filled with ourselves and needing to take a leak. We were directed into a field where there was reported to be an outhouse. All four of us went at the same time. We found a rickety structure with back-to-back privies, one for the men and one for the women.

It was a warm summer night and the dance music floated down through the grove, faintly heard. Without negotiating anything (what's to negotiate?) we all stepped inside at the same time. Suddenly it became very quiet.

Through the wide gaps in the barn-like construction of this privy, the lights from the dance hall cast soft shadows. Through these same gaps I could hear the girl's excited breathing just inches away. Suddenly we all seemed to realize the same thing at the same time. To all intents and purposes, we were about to pee in the audible presence of each other... maybe. But who was to go first?

Whoever the yahoo I was with mumbled, "Fuck it," and whipped out his dick and let loose. The sound of his stream hitting the privy pit sounded like a gun shot. "See you back at the Hall," he said and left. Then it became quiet again.