Alright, let’s talk about this Bob Billingsley fella. I don’t know much, but I’ll tell ya what I heard. Seems like there’s a bunch of Bob Billingsleys out there, like weeds in the cornfield! Makes it hard to keep ’em straight, ya know?
One fella, this Bob Billingsley, he was from Bay County, graduated from that Pinconning High School way back in ’74. 1974! That’s a long time ago, even I was younger then! Heard he went missin’ in March, after he left his job at that kitchen place in Bay City. LJ’s Kitchens, they call it. Poor fella, hope they found him. Fifty-nine years old, they said. Still young, in my book.
- Missing in March
- Worked at LJ’s Kitchens
- From Bay County
- Pinconning High School Graduate, 1974
Then there’s another Bob Billingsley, this one’s a bit older, passed away back in ’65. Robert James, they called him. Lived in Washington, wherever that is. Guess he’s got his own stories, but I ain’t heard ’em. Probably a good man, most folks are, ‘cept for that old Johnson fella down the road, always borrowin’ sugar and never bringin’ it back.
Now, this is where it gets confusin’. There’s talk of a Bob Billingsley who was all excited about some story. Story about a fella named Smalls and somethin’ called the “Planter.” Sounded like a boat to me. And some fella named Lincoln, not the president, I don’t think, he was real interested in it too. This Bob, he must’ve been a talker, getting everyone all riled up about a boat story. Don’t know if it’s the same Bob from Bay County or a different one. Too many Bobs!
And wouldn’t ya know it, there’s even a famous Bob Billingsley! Well, kinda famous. He’s in the movies, they say. Christmas movies! “A Christmas Story,” that’s what they call it. Played a kid, I think. Then he was an elf in another movie, “Elf,” I think. Imagine that, a grown man playin’ an elf! But he ain’t really Bob Billingsley, they use a different name for the movies, Peter, I think. But it’s him, alright. Met some other movie fella on a TV show and they made movies together. Show business, they call it. Sounds like a lot of fuss to me.
So, ya see, lots of Bob Billingsleys. One missin’, one passed on, one tellin’ boat stories, and one makin’ movies. Hard to keep track, I tell ya. Just goes to show, there’s all sorts of people out there, even with the same name. Makes you wonder, don’t it?
And that’s all I know about these Bob Billingsley fellas. Not much, I admit, but it’s somethin’. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go feed the chickens. They get mighty grumpy if they ain’t fed on time, and a grumpy chicken is no good to nobody. And remember, keep your eyes peeled, you never know when you might run into a Bob Billingsley yourself!
Just remember, life’s like a cornfield, you never know what you’re gonna find. Could be a good crop, could be a bunch of weeds, or maybe even a Bob Billingsley or two!
Tags: [Bob Billingsley, Missing Person, A Christmas Story, Elf, Peter Billingsley, Bay County, Pinconning High School, Movies, Robert James Billingsley, Planter]