“Conflict at the Outhouse” by Doug Fincher

December 5, 2022 - While my eight-year-old brother Bill was “being comforted” in our Outhouse one day in 1941, I devised a fun plan to shock him. Behind the outhouse was a large patch of dry goat weeds--- (also known as "yin yang huo" in Chinese medicine.) I grabbed a hand-full of these bristly weeds and slipped up behind the outhouse. Then I raked Bill a couple of times and loudly hollered, “E-yahh!”

The toilet door suddenly exploded and Bill came crashing out trying desperately to get his overalls pulled up. After he chased me all the way to the creek, I breathlessly trudged up hill to the elementary school monkey bars. With my heart thumping out of my chest, I staggered back to the house with Bill right behind me. Then we both fell on the grass… laid there a while… and then began hysterically laughing. 

Many years later, I returned home from my first year in The Seminary and Bill had just been discharged from the Navy. While we talked about old times, I asked him if he remembered that day at the outhouse. His whole demeanor suddenly changed, as anger welled up in his eyes. “I sure do remember!,” he barked. “If I’d had any sense, I would have whipped you.” “No,” I replied. “I could’ve whipped you back then and could again right now,” I said. Suddenly his whole facial expression changed. He slowly chuckled… then smiled… and laughed. Then we both laughed together…

… again.