My six brothers, sisters and I grew up near Atherton. We had a small 2 bedroom 1 bathroom house. After our parents filled up the two bedrooms with kids, their bed was the foldout couch in the living room.
Going to school (elementary, middle & high school) with the Atherton children was different. Some of them actually had to perform for their allowance (we never had such a thing as an allowance). I was most amused when one of them would arrive at school on their birthday with a brand new Mercedes or Porsche.
From an early age, if we had a hand-me-down, thrift store bicycle, we would bike into Atherton and witness the grandeur of the mansions. Often, there were tall, thick walls. We would lean our bike on the wall, stand on the bike seat, and try to see over the wall. I remember one place in particular. Besides the large mansion, the grass in the front yard was larger than two football fields.
One day in high school, after my track meet, one of the cheerleaders said to whole track team “my parents are gone, let’s go to my place.” When we arrived at her Atherton abode, it was unbelievable. The “pool house” was larger than the house I grew up in. I remained near the pool house, not venturing into a mansion with 10? 20? bathrooms.
Back in our family home, some years were leaner than other years. I loved milk back then, and when we only had powdered milk, well, it wasn’t the same. With my 6 brothers and sisters, we were never bored. Our father fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam as an Air Force pilot. Was shot down in Italy WWII, and Vietnam, but fortunately survived it all to come home to us. (We stopped watching the evening news when they kept showing Americans in body bags. We did not want to see dad in one).
Despite not having much, we had each other, and our parents were incredible role models. Love America, fight against communism, and we are, to this day, thankful for being born in the Greatest Nation on God’s Green Earth. We will fix and defeat the commies in our midst, and once again build that City On The Hill.
I grew up in Menlo Park. (50’s) Grandparents lived in Atherton (Flood Circle/Lindenwood). It was nice then but not like now. No fences like have become popular when Google bucks move in. They owned a bakery in Burlingame.