A three bedroom house with a white picket fence and 2.3 children, that is the American dream. Or at least it was. Or maybe it never was. I invented a drinking game once that was called the American Dream. It was based on the dream of getting smashed really fast, maybe not the real American dream but something like it.
The real American dream is about getting some. Some of what? Anything and everything. Its a dream of greed whether we are willing to admit it or not. It could be blamed on consumerism but really its innate. People want power and money. The modern American dream is about doing nothing and getting everything. Its not just the money, but its the money with coupled with the complete lack of effort put it to obtain it. Its about the sex, drugs, and rockN'roll. We all expect freedom and liberty, that is an American value, but the American dream goes beyond just simple human rights. The American dream goes beyond the borders of this country. The world wants the same dream. Other nations and people groups want to have the rights, privileges, and opportunities that Americans enjoy. Everyone wants a home to call their own and a job that provides in a lifestyle that is just beyond living comfortably. The dream is that anyone can do anything, or almost anything, and make the coin that they feel deserved to. I hope that Americans want more than just money, power, and sex; but those seem to be a main motivating factor. The American dream has changed and continues to change, but it is still and will forever be based on the idea that anyone can make a name or a living for themselves. Maybe that includes swimming in a pool of money (Scrooge Mcduck style), or living a pleasantly comfortable life in a house with the white picket fence. Or maybe its just an attempt to get drunk.
The American dream is just that, a dream. It is a dream granted to everyone, yet only a select few will take the initiative to reach this goal, very few will work hard enough to reach their dream. So to most, this dream stays in their heads and in their sleep, never seeing the light of day or the vividness of reality. But because this dream is granted to everyone, it is generalized and watered down. To most of Americans the dream does turn into a drinking contest of who can make the most money with the least amount of work.
ReplyDeleteNot only was your comments about the drinking game funny, there is some truth to that being the total accomplishment and answer for some people. I think a bit part of the problem is the fact that most people just do not want to do the continuous work to make their dreams come true. Then they get all depressed, hopeless and decide to go get drunk. Kind of a viscous circle for many, especially the children mixed up in it watching their parents, learning to do the same thing. What will the American Dream be for our children or grandchildren. It is a scary thought!
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