lost american dreams

The word America used to carry with it notes of promise and prosperity. People used to want to come here to find jobs, build their dream home, raise their families. This was the place, out of the entire world, to realize your dreams and make a fresh start. But now, for so many, America has lost its sparkle; our immigration rate is down because of the recession and illegal immigrants are regretting ever coming here. It's indisputable that many have lost their American dreams, but what about the status of the American Dream?

No, the Dream has not been lost. Our country has been through far tougher times, such as the Great Depression, and the Dream survived intact. This nation was born out of the concept of hard work -- just look at Jamestown, the Pilgrims, the American Revolution. It is the working man's land; you work hard so your children will have it better, and even then, your children will almost invariably want to work hard. People may not like Paris Hilton, but she does work, though maybe not as hard as she plays. In general, Americans play hard and work harder; so many people have multiple jobs (even yours truly) or are juggling work with study. If you have no job, your acquaintances sniff at you, your family prays for you, and your self-esteem plummets. If you do, your neighbors are jealous, your friends ask you to pay, and your self-worth rises. I think this is why, when people ask you to introduce yourself, the first thing you say, after perhaps your name, is your occupation. It is also why people generally don't come here to retire. One thing I noticed after watching a million House Hunters episodes is that retirees go abroad to buy houses.

No wonder this recession has made us frenetic, our panic increasing each time the media reports more job cuts. People are looking for jobs like crazy, even if they have one already, because their current one may not be secure. Life is for working; as Warren Zevon sang, "I'll sleep when I'm dead."