four twenty
So, I celebrated 4/20 for the first time Sunday, and it was certainly an eventful day. I had planned on going to Santa Cruz but heard that the cops were doing their best to clear it out early, so I went to Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park instead, and didn't see a single cop all day.
I went with my best friend Tara, and while on BART we ran into a girl she knew through her brother, and ended up going onto MUNI with them too. I thought they were acting a little weird but dismissed it (since I had never met them before, how could I know what was weird or normal for them?), until one of them leaned in close and told us they were all on shrooms and acid. Remember those anti-drug commercials? Well, watching their gradual progression from giggly to confused to paranoid was definitely my anti-drug, lol.
We got to Hippie Hill, plopped down on the grass, and enjoyed the sunshine for a while. There was so much going on: a drum circle, people juggling, people hula-hooping, a barbecue, dogs and kids running everywhere. It was just so vibrant and alive, it was nice to sit back and people-watch for a while. I was offered a free brownie (by a baker though!) and wanted to say yes, but Tara made me say no. It's probably not the best idea to accept a free brownie from a stranger, even if they are handing you their business card with it.
Later we met up with Tara's brother, his friends, and my friend Kristen. We'd had to leave our acid-tripping friends behind since they got tired from the 15-minute walk from Hippie Hill to the Botanical gardens. Eventually Kristen, Tara and I made our way back to Hippie Hill alone, which ended up being the best decision of the day.
As we were sitting there, I noticed a trip of British guys behind us. Or, really, I just noticed the one because he was incredibly attractive. They came over ostensibly to borrow my friend's pipe, but ended up sitting with us (which I'm guessing was the real purpose anyway). May I just say that cute accents are my weakness? It's like kryptonite for me (that and musicians). It was like a scene from a movie, it was so perfect and surreal. Each of us was into a different one, and each of them seemed equally interested. Although I'll admit, the guy chatting up my friend Tara - a musician and a doctor, no less - was obviously the most interested. As it was so cold, we suggested going to dinner (actually, Tara did, I can't take credit for that) and they agreed. Then, out of nowhere, the one talking to my friend Kristen announced that they actually really had to leave. The one I was talking to seemed like he would go along with whatever the others wanted, while the one talking to Tara seemed downright shocked. In the end they left us as quickly as they had come. I guess the saddest part is that while to us it was wonderful, to them we're just another couple of girls they met on their vacation. It was equally incredible and gut-wrenching. It was like being offered that perfect movie moment, only to have it snatched away at the last moment. Maybe I've been watching too many romances.
I learned a few things from that day. It made me realize how tired I've gotten of immature boys when faced with a confident and accomplished man (they were all 27). Too bad I don't know where to find any of those. I also realized that I am becoming more of hippie every day, a change I could not have foreseen but which I love. I also decided (even more so than before) that continuing to keep pot illegal is a pointless joke that solves no problem and helps no one (except perhaps to give its supporters some sense that they have triumphed over the liberals, at least in this instance?). It also reaffirmed my love for San Francisco - I can't wait to move there.
A lot happened that day (I've left a few details out); I felt so full and confused and overwhelmed and content and happy all rolled into one.