Youth and Ungoverned Hormones

Brad Rocko

Dateline Sacramento, 1971, Senator Hotel.

Youth in Government was a program designed to let teenage kids experience government firsthand. I got to experience something else firsthand, for the first time, and it was sweet and so was the girl who gave me that first experience. But this isn’t about Maia & me – it’s about my good buddy, Brad Rocko. Brad and I were rooming together for the few days of our Model Legislature. While Maia and I (unexpected but to my great delight) shared a bed, Brad had no place else to sleep but the bed on the other side of the same small room we had paid for with our registration to the event. So she and I were quiet as little mice. But Brad had powerful ears and imagination.

The next morning, we were all lying under covers, chatting about the previous day’s events, and today’s upcoming legislative sessions. Outside of the fact that Maia and I were doing an inordinate amount of giggling, I think that we weren’t giving anything away. Brad kept asking leading questions, trying to get us to reveal the previous evening’s activities, but we were giving no quarter.
Brad seemed to be getting more and more uncomfortable as we talked.

Finally I asked him if anything was wrong. “Um, I’ve got to use the John,” he said.

“Well, go ahead.”

“Um, but I’m naked.”

“It’s okay,” chirped in Maia, “so are we (giggle)!”

“Um, okay, I’m getting up.”

“Okay. Go ahead.”

“I’m gonna get up now.”

“Go ahead, Brad, we don’t mind.”

And so he got up. Well, he stood up. Then, like a pendulum beat, with each step, little Brad stood up to salute bit by bit.

“Okay,” flop, “I’m,” bounce, “going,” boing, “to,” snap, “leave” slap, “now.”

By the time he had crossed the room, imagination and 16 year old hormones let Brad, Jr get to the door a full step ahead of Brad.

Maia waited before the door was closed before collapsing into laughter.

------- Years later ------

Now, call me a terrible person, but for years after, whenever Brad wanted to tell a girlfriend of mine something about my past I would have found embarrassing, I threatened to tell that story. What I guess I never told him, was that pretty much every one of those gals had already heard & enjoyed that story!

Brad, if you’re reading now, I offer my ex post facto apology. Had the tables been turned, I'm sure little Steve would have betrayed my thoughts as well. And thanks especially for not telling those embarrassing tales!!