How Is Everyone Middle-Class? Ctd

by Patrick Appel

A reader writes:

My brothers and I grew up in a very nice suburb, but my family was at the very bottom of the yearly household income for the area and we knew it. Middle class is relative to your surroundings and the expectations of your peers. We were called the poor kids at our well funded public school.

We were never hungry, had a decent roof over our heads in a safe neighborhood  and went to college. Knowing now what the family income was during my childhood, we were...