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I was listening to NPR. They were playing listener responses to this this question: What is the American dream? Of course this made me think about various opinions that I've heard, such as my FAVorite political junkie, Bill Maher who once said that the American dream was really a fantasy. I thought this was very interesting. So, think about it. What is the 1st image that comes to mind when you here that phrase? Mom, dad, two kids, maybe a dog, a house, and a picket fence, right? And how's they get there? Working hard and playing by the rules, maybe going to college even. Well this isn't how most Americans live these days. Divorce rates at 50% and many people are raised in single-parent households...The majority of Americans do not own their own home, and going to college, earning a degree isn't a guarantee of anything except you'll more than likely have student loans, and other dept. Not to mention the millions of Americans that work at least 40-hours a week, maybe more, and can't afford to supply themselves or their family with health insurance. Since the old playbook doesn't seem to apply anymore, what's the new American dream, and who decides?? As far as I'm concerned, the American dream means having the opportunity to determine my own success or failure. It means being able to pursue a career and provide a happy, healthy, productive life for myself and my family. This is the best country in the world because of the possibilities that exist. The opportunities may not be readily available for everyone (that's a blog for another day) but they are out there. I saw a quote somewhere that said (I think) I dream my painting then I paint my dream. The American dream is no longer narrowly defined, it lies on a blank sheet for each individual to write his or her own life story.
What does the American dream mean to you?
