Do I Believe in The American Dream of
2012?
The American dream! These are tough times
for that Dream. As the safe routines of our lives have come undone, so has our
optimism, not only our belief that the future is full of limitless possibility,
but our faith that things will eventually return to normal, whatever “normal”
was before the recession hit. There is even worry that the dream may be over,
that we currently living Americans are the unfortunate ones who will bear
witness to that deflating moment in history when the promise of this country
begins to wither. This gives cause to stand back and assess the American Dream.
What exactly is it? It seems to mean something different to each individual’s
heart. The dream of today seems somewhat different than the dream for America when
the Declaration of Independence was drafted. The observations I have made from
a small child to where I am now have brought a continuously reoccurring
question to my mind. Do I believe in this American Dream?
What did the American dream start out to
be? The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the United States Declaration of
Independence
which proclaims that "all men are created equal" and that they are
"endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." (Jefferson)
When Winthrop came over with the Puritans,
the idea of the dream that he brought forth was different from that of the
founding fathers. His idea was that they should be a model of Christian
charity, to be a light to the world around them. They should look out for each
other and in doing so they would become that city upon the hill.
The
American Dream in 2012 is poles apart from when the Declaration of Independence
was drafted in 1776. The sense of equal opportunity is still here. The American
Dream still exists. But, the big difference is that the idea of how to
accomplish the dream has changed. It went from people wanting to work hard and achieve
goals, to people wanting to sit on their butts at home while things just fall
into their laps. This can somewhat be due to the fact that America is a grown
nation. When it started out people had to work to become something because
there was nothing. In 2012 there is everything a person needs to survive and
opportunity to thrive.
The emphasis has turned from wanting to
create and make things better. It almost appears now that people are only
looking out for themselves and trying to find ways to get ahead, even if it
means putting the other person down. Then there’s the people who don’t even
want to rise to any occasion in their life, who idly sit by and live off
welfare thus eating up funds that should go to other more deserving subjects.
They may say, well at least they aren’t trying to beat other people down to get
ahead. Really? What else would it be called if they are taking money from other
people that they wouldn’t need if they had a job? These people could say that
they are happy and this is their right. However, they are ignoring the part in
the declaration where it says the pursuit of happiness. Sitting on the couch and
taking money away from people that really need it, would hardly be qualified in
the dictionary as pursuit! Pursuit is going after something that’s appealing,
even if it means starting out at the bottom working in a fast food joint. If it
is a person that truly pursues I doubt they’d be there long.
In the song “Badlands,” Bruce Springsteen writes
about the American Dream turning more into a night mare and how the glorious
American Dream isn’t what it was once cracked up to be. “You wake up in the
night/With a fear so real/Spend your life waiting/For a moment that just don’t
come/Well, don’t waste your time waiting” (lines 16-20).
The song “We Take Care of Our Own,” by
Bruce Springsteen clearly blows Winthrop’s idea of his dream of charity right
out of the water. “I been knocking on the door that holds the throne/I been
looking for the map that leads me home/I been stumbling on good hearts turned to
stone/The road of good intentions has gone dry as a bone” (lines 1-4).
All the good intentions are gone? Who will
bring good intentions back? Who will try to save a life? This made me rethink
the dream, in fact not just me, but my entire family as they grow up think
through the American Dream and decide how it will affect their lives. If my Mom
and Dad had not rethought through the American dream I wouldn’t be here. They
were happily married with their two children when they thought through the
dream and decided to kick the odds and had six more kids. Trust me when I say,
that is not the American dream!!! Anybody who wants eight fussy, screaming,
argumentative children under one roof is insane! We lived on oatmeal, beans,
and lintels. We had one of those once or twice a day for at least four years
that I can remember. We didn’t have electricity for at least five of my growing
up years, and no running water for about one of them.
Well, I still hate oatmeal and lintels to
this day but I can sort of tolerate beans. Even with these dislikes I developed,
I loved my childhood and so many of the things I believe in today, I learned
back then. We were poor and never had very much material stuff. Most of the
toys I remember getting was given to me by my Aunt and Uncle who had achieved
the American Dream. However, we were taught the more valuable truths of sharing
and caring and loving other people. That was all we had to give to others and
it gave the sweetest rewards.
Those truths have brought me to the place
I am now. I have thought through the American Dream and have decided to go
against the normal standards of how it would be defined today. I am studying
for a bachelor’s degree in nursing and science so I can go to foreign countries
and minister healing to sick people that can’t afford medical attention. Is
this going to lead me to great wealth and fame? It probably will not. Will I
ever have a nice fancy house with my white picket fence? I doubt I will ever
have that either. I never did have that and I have learned that’s not what
makes this world a better place. The dream is not in things, it is in people!
So, if someone asked me if I believe in
the American Dream I would say which American Dream? If it’s the one of today
where people stomp down others to get ahead, if it’s the one where people’s
hearts have turned to stone, if it’s the idea that everything should be handed
to me because I deserve it, then I most certainly do not believe in the
American Dream. However, if it’s the one back in 1776 that we are created equal
with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, than yes I believe. If it’s
the dream of that city upon the hill, if it’s that idea of charity one to
another and that people are valued more than things, than yes I believe in the
American Dream.
Works Cited
Jefferson,
Thomas. The Declaration of Independence.
Springsteen,
Bruce. “Badlands.” BruceSpringsteen.net.
Thrill Hill Production. n.d. Web.
20 Feb. 2012
---. “We
take Care of Our Own.” BruceSpringsteen.net
Thrill Hill Production. n.d. Web.
20 Feb. 2012
