The killer bees of Hippie Park, 1969

Follow bob on twitter or
ask bob a question!


Yes there is a bump on my forehead!

It’s just a pimple…I think. Perhaps it will grow into a third eye or something. One can only hope.

Speaking of third eyes, reminds me of hippies. And hippies brings me back to El Cerrito, 1969. I lived in the suburbs of the San Francisco area. And as we all know San Francisco (and the suburbs) were filled with hippies.

Mira Vista park (still exists although a bit different know) was 1/10 classic park with a big lawn and a sandbox with swings. The other 9/10 of it was still wild, like a little pine forest. It was real fun to play in with a “mini-mountain side” to climb, two large boulders in the middle and a creek running through the middle, so as you can guess all the kids navigated in its direction to play army, hide n’ seek and what-not.

When the kids of the early 60’s grew into teenagers and young adults, they wanted a place to smoke dope, drink wine out of flasks and stare at the clouds. Unsurprising, they headed right toward Mira Vista park. They all sat on the grass and carried on. If the cops came they could run into the forest area or down a street alley in all directions. Unless there were a 100 cops pulling up, most everyone would get away.

It was like a tea party convention!

Anyways, I’m on the swings watching a guy cop-a-feel on teenage hippie with flowers in her hair when all of a sudden he yells, “Oooow!”

Dude next to him: “What is it man?”

“I got stung or sumthin’…man!”

Someone else in the lawn, “Chiiiikes!, I just got stung too!”

Another hippies yells, “Oooouuuuch…man! I think it was a bee, but it hurts way more…man!”

Hippie in middle of lawn, “Dude, I heard about these killer bees from Mexico! They’re not supposed to be here until way in the future like 1985…but I think they’re right here, right now!”

Hippie, “Ooooowwww! I GOT STUNG MAN! I’M OUTTA’ HERE!”

Another hippie, “Hot-shot-baby I’m outta’ here before its too late!”

Within a half hour, no more hippies.

I’m just sittin’ there on the swings watching it all happen, when I notice the park is clear.

“Cool.” I say to myself, “Now we can play football in the park again.”

Just then Eddie Boyle shows up (long time friend).

Eddie, “Where’s all the hippies?”

Me, “They all got attacked by killer bees and left.”

Eddie, “Killer bees?”

Me, “Yup.”

Eddie, whispering, “Bob, can you keep a secret?”

Me, “Sure.”

Eddie, “Those were not killer bees. It was my brother up on the hill with a B.B. gun.”

Me, “Really?”

Eddie, “Uh-huh.”

Me, “Why?”

Eddie, “I don’t know, he just thought it would be funny. They’re just plastic B.B’s, so nobody would get hurt bad.”

Me, “Huh. Well, it was kind of funny, they thought it was killer bees from Mexico.”

Eddie, “Yeah, that is funny. I got a football, wanna’ play catch?”

Me, “Sure.”

Eddie, “GO LONG!!!”


COMING NEXT: Still trying to figure out why I’m alive!