My View of the American Dream

It seems to me that the American dream is ever-changing yet still the same in many ways. We work hard, we look at the world around us to find the norm, or sometimes we seek out our own unique way such as a home in the desert far away from everyone.
What is it that we really want? Do we really want a huge mansion and a BMW parked in the drive? Some would say, “Sure, why not”? On the other hand, there are who have a totally different idea about the American Dream. Someone who comes here from an under developed country would most likely have a different view about it.
We who were born in America are some what used to having more. Even the lower income has a lot more than some people in third world countries. A color TV would be a luxury, even one’s own space would be a treat.
The American Dream started with the first American settlers if you count out the American Indians who lost their American Dream when the white folks showed up. That’s another story. The settlers were looking for what I think is the first of four main ideals behind the American Dream. They were looking for freedom.
Freedom is the first ideal that Americans seek out. Freedom is something that we want in everything concerning our lives. We want the right to speak out about our causes; this includes politics, religious choices, sexual orientation, and even the songs we choose to sing. We want the freedom to be individuals.
The second ideal is the right to claim our own space. In seeking out our home, our refuge, or nest of sorts it may range from a penthouse apartment to a small cabin in the mountains. We all have a picture in our minds of the perfect home and how it should be furnished down to the smallest detail. However, there are some Americans whose home is a box in an alley.
The third ideal is that we have a purpose, a reason for being. We want to be prosperous in life and to seek out something to work toward that we enjoy doing as well as provide us with monetary things. There are also those who don’t seem to mind living on government funds in order to have more freedom of time to spend as they wish. I’m not speaking of people who have no choice because of their circumstances. What about Mr. Wendel who was spoken of in the song lyrics by Arrested Development? Why does he live the way he does? Is he just happy to be free and alive as he chooses? Or is he also the victim of circumstance? If he does choose to live that way then it is his idea of the American Dream. What about the many immigrants who smiled when they first laid eyes on the Statue of Liberty? They came to America for many reasons, poverty, oppression, persecution, and even enslavement in some cases. Working in a factory or field all day and living a small but warm home is an American Dream if you have your freedom.
The last but not least part of the American Dream in my opinion is the need for someone special to share it all with. Americans spend a lot of time and money finding the right mate. There are services through the internet, TV and newspaper to help you find you one and only. If you choose not go that direction and go on your own you can meet someone at a church, the local bar, at school or even on the job. Whatever way we find our mate we have usually tried out several ways beforehand and kissed a few toads along the way. For those who choose not to have a mate in the romantic sense, they may often have a close friend, sibling or parent in which they trust and can share their lives with. I think we all need to be loved and understood by another human being.
There is a lot of discussion and debate on what the definition of the American Dream is but when it is said out loud the first thing that comes to my mind is the symbol of the American Flag, the Statue of Liberty, a baseball game on a warm summer day and apple pie. Sound a little corny? Maybe, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.