Want To Make A Good Impression On Your Date, Belch Like A Bull Frog

I used to love attending the Youth for Christ meetings (I believe that was the name) with my fellow Brahmas.  The topics delivered and discussed were usually contemporary and poignant without being overbearing and there was always some type of entertaining activity involved that encouraged christian camaraderie.  I distinctly remember two such meetings.  One was held at Loyce's house and her father was gracious enough to supply the whole crowd with Whopper Burgers.  Nice guy!  The other was over on a street in Oak Park, I believe, where a contest was held at the end of the meeting and contestants for a then unnamed activity were required to clambor up a flat bed trailer strung with lights where there were four or five metal chairs waiting for the contestants.  Boy-girl partners were requested so on a whim, I grabbed Jenice and we made our way up onto the plartform.

Digressing just a little, I always loved Jenice's company and we dated sporadically our senior year. I knew I could always count on a fun time and the presence of her sparkling personality I liked so much whether it was off to dinner, a movie, or just sharing some lively conversation over sundaes at Jim's.

Anyway, returning to the event, the MC called out the rules over a small PA system and indicated that the girls should sit in a chair with their partner on their lap.  At a solid 185 lbs, I was not exactly a light weight and am sure Jenice was hoping this event would be over quickly before I put her legs to sleep.  Next the guys were instructed to put their hands behind their backs and that the girls were going to feed the guys a half full bottle of hot Coke through a nipple on the end of the bottle.  I liked feeding from nipples as well as the next guy, but I was about ready to call it after hearing that.  Further, we were told that the first one to finish the Coke and burp into the microphone would win a dinner for two at Naples on San Pedro (now defunct).  That was just enough enticement to make me forget about embarrassing myself in front of a small crowd and the MC gave the GO signal.

Up went the bottle in Jenice's hand and down went the hot Coke through the tiny hole in the nipple.  I thought I was going to either cause the skin to separate from the roof of my mouth by sucking so hard or gag from the CO2 and foamy bubbles starting to come out of my nose.  Hilarious?  At least most of the crowd thought so including Jenice.  Determined to come in first I sucked down the last gaseous ounce of that hot frothy soda while the MC scurried over with the microphone.  At first I thought that a storm cloud had moved over us as I heard a mighty clap of thunder.  No such thing.  It was actually me as I expelled a five second blast of CO2 that was electronically amplified 10 times normal so that the whole neighborhood must have heard it.  Pretty crude but I never knew a burp could feel so good.  I was blessed with instant relief that brought tears to my eyes probably from the escaping CO2 cloud.

The crowd was roaring with laughter as I practically fell from Jenice's lap from the embarrassment but mostly hilarity of the moment and we both laughed unabated at the ridiculous sound I had just generated.  Needles to say, we won the contest and had fun laughing some more about my jocular performance on our ensuing date to Naples the following week.  Jenice had been such a good sport about the whole thing as was her way.  

As an aside, I think I worried unduly back then about other people's perception of me.  There were certainly remnants of shyness and a newly burgeoning confidence there that began to grow as I made my way through some personal achievements and confidence builders our last year at Mac.  A bit of a late bloomer I guess you would say and, to some extent, I regretted not having become more active and ambitious in those early days.  

I remember Jenice and I having clams oreganato at the restaurant which were terrific.  Naples was a popular restaurant back then but, like so many things, is now gone with the advancement of time.