As a child of the middle class with a stay-at-home mother and full-time working father, I always felt I was living the American dream. Our new home with two-car garage and large shaded yard was what everyone dreamed of having. There was a color TV in the family room and a healthy family each night at the dinner table. To me, this was the picture of the American dream in the 1960's.
Today, my students look in disbelief when I tell them how exciting it was to get that first color TV. "How did you survive without a cell-phone and computer?" is what they want to know. Their Amreican dream consists of a hard-ship license at age 14 so they can drive the new Toyota their parents bought just for them. An iPod is a given and their homes have at least two computers and some type of game system.
For many, the American dream is all about money. The dream means more cars, bigger homes, exotic vacations, and lots of "stuff". All this takes larger bank accounts and often more work hours. It is hard for me to believe that a dream would consist of longer hours because that would mean less time to enjoy that dream.
I still feel that I am living the American dream. Maybe I should call it "my" American dream. The dream has shifted as I've grown older, and hopefully wiser. My dream still consists of a place to call my home and a vehicle to take me places. I am sure my dream will always have a material aspect, but there are two things that loom large in the dream today. One is freedom and the other is time. The freedom that comes with living in this country, freedom to express ideas and to live and work as I please. The time to work and play and to enjoy my freedom. For me, in 2008, this describes my American dream.
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2 comments:
Hi Julie! I remember our first color TV, too. It was a big deal at our house. We had a console black and white, with the record player, etc attached. It was HUGE! Every New Year's Day, my mother would say, "Carl, I'm not going to watch another Rose Parade in black and white." After several years of saying that, we finally got a color TV. Even though the screen was the same size, we kids couldn't believe how small it was!
Thanks for reminding me....
Marcia
Julie-
I think we share some of the same beliefs and my students are much like the ones you described. They have many of the latest gadgets and wear trendy clothes, but they don't have a family unit or strong relationships. Sonic is where they eat dinner and their conversations with friends consists of texting.
I think society places too much emphais on material objects and often leaves out the importance of family. Of course, we all want new stuff, but as you pointed out it is costing us. It's costing us time and relationships, not only money.
Parents are forced to work longer hours to provide for the family. And these provisions are not only food and shelter, but also the latest cell phone, a new car and stylish clothes. I often think that the Amercian Dream is, in reality, just "keeping up with the Joneses."
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