To me and my family, the American Dream is sort of something of the past. People these days just seem to use it for marketing (as mentioned in "The American Dream" handout) or to reassure themselves in hard economic times. America is supposed to be a land of opportunity and new beginnings, but with jobs so hard to find and the price of living so high, how can we still say that's true? My family and I have always worked very hard for our money and to support ourselves, but for as long as I can remember, we have always had trouble with our bills. Some may say that life is not all about money, but how can you live your life the way you want to when you have to spend most of your time worrying over costs?
We do enjoy our freedoms in the country - freedom of religion, freedom to own land, have pets, and, most of all, freedom of speech. Most of my family are atheists, while I really have no religion, but believe in God, and my sister is wiccan. None of us are too serious about practicing our religions, but we carry them with us and are happy for the fact that we are not forced to participate in something we don't believe in. We also consider ourselves very lucky to have our cats. They are a part of our family and bring us fun and laughter everyday.
I am certain that my family and I would all be strong believers in the American Dream if we were in this country during a better time economically. However, it seems nearly impossible for us to pursue happiness when every dollar we make is already spent. When it comes to the future, I try to keep an open and positive mind that things will get better, which perhaps has something to do with the dream's place in my mind. If America got through the Great Depression, it will get through this. But for the moment, opportunities are scarce and with so many people poor and losing their homes, the American Dream just feels like a fantasy, something that will never be achieved.
*My first few blogs are posted out of order.
No comments:
Post a Comment