WOODSIDE, CA
Woodside is a small town about 30 miles south of San Francisco. It's right next to Redwood City and Menlo Park and just northwest of Palo Alto and Stanford University. It is the town where my dad and his family have lived since he was about 9 years old (that's just about 50 years). That's actually before the town of Woodside was even incorporated! Woodside is a small town that consisted mainly of large vacation homes for the wealthy families in SF and horse people that enjoyed the rural environment. However, in recent years a lot of Silicon Valley types have moved up and made it into a pretty yuppie place with big homes on too small of a property and have been cuting down all the beautiful trees that have made Woodside such a beautiful place. It has been a serious place for conspicuous consumption these days and I don't dig that at all. My family has about an acre and a third of land with a small house (that may not be a lot, but to a city boy, it was a hell of a lot of land). Ever since my grandparents passed away in 1978 and '79, Woodside became the place where my mom, dad, sister, and I would spend the Summer months so that we could escape the SF fog. Nowadays, Woodside is where I spend some of my weekends and see my parents in the summer.
To me, Woodside is a very special place. It is the place where I go to get away from it all. I go there to reflect, plan, and just find my center. Just as my sister is my center who reminds me of who I am, Woodside is where I go to recalibrate things and renew myself. Woodside is one of the most beautiful places on the Earth in my opinion. Definately, part of my soul resides in Woodside. It is there that I feel whole. Whether I go there to sort out paper and bills, or to sort out feelings or problems, or to plan where I'm heading in life, an evening in Woodside is always the best answer.
Maybe be it is because my dad, grandfather, and uncle Freddy took a tiny shack on a hillside portion of a prune orchard and made it into a home. Maybe it is becaue of the special bond I had with my grandfather. Maybe it's because his passing was the first and most impactive significant event in my young life. Maybe it is because Woodside is where my dad grew up. Maybe it is because of all the work my dad made me do around the property by digging ditches, planting plants, chopping wood, and other tasks. Maybe it is because I spent so much time there inventing games in the frivolity of my youth. Whatever the reason, I care about very deeply and will always cherish the unique serenity and beauty that is Woodside.
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