The American Dream

The American dream. A sentence. An ideal. What a beautiful dream it must have been, back when it existed. The American dream has become a thing of the past, a distant memory of what this country stood for at one time or another. Unfortunately, today’s youth know only of this dream through history books and socialist propaganda. The tainted versions spread like wildfire, and people grow up to be disillusioned.

I do not blame any one person for the demise of what used to be this great nation. I believe, over time, ideals and principles were lost, but more importantly, forgotten. We are mere passengers on a destructive train, heading nowhere fast. I’d gladly trade in my window seat for a comfortable pair of walking shoes and set out on my own, to discover why so many people once loved this land. An impossible journey. Or is it?

People often assume that because they have a home and dinner on the table, that they are doing well for themselves. True. However, life was not intended for us to be so complacent. I doubt the men who built America sat around thinking, I could probably get some drinks and snacks this weekend when the Sunday paper comes out. I could cut all those coupons and flood my family with things they don’t really want or need. I bet they worked effortlessly, fought hard, thought long, and lived well. Today’s newspapers aren’t purchased for the words printed across them, but for the coupons inside. Does that bother anyone else? Can no one see the shift in the times? Technology has affected the sales of hardcopy products; yes, but it is not to blame for the demise of the American way.

The government makes a few mistakes, the sheep follow the herd, corporations benefit, and what do we do? We cut coupons. We rush out first thing Sunday morning to see what special treats await us. A woman watching a television commercial sees an ad and exclaims, “Quick! Get my scissors, I must place this coupon appropriately in my binder!” Meanwhile the cover page news of the country’s demise is pushed aside and will eventually find its home on the bottom of her child’s hamster cage. Why is this even okay? Why is this the norm in today’s America?

We revert back to change and hope for it; meanwhile, we sit quietly, working hard, paying bills, watching the beauty of each sunrise turn to sunset until there is no more light left in our day. We hang our keys and retire to the couch, the bed, a familiar chair, and we rest our eyes while our souls catch fire. We make peace with the fact that we’ve done our job, played nice and have survived to fight another day. We lay awake dreaming of things we want, things that free us mentally. And we dream, only to awaken to the mild nightmares of our daily reality, like most others amongst us - and that is the new quintessential American Dream.