The American Dream

Wow. I am reading and outlining material nearly every week for sixteen weeks…. you would *think* I am tired of it by now. NOPE! LOL. Well. I could do without the outlines. But the material I am reading is actually really good. It’s about the American dream…. and wow. I have a totally different approach to it than the majority of the country.

Yes- I would love to have a humongous house, a fancy car, successful career, etc. Is that my American dream? Nope. I actually believe I am living out the American dream (at least my definition of it) right now. Yes, the system can be awfully flawed; it’s far from perfect. But *right now* I am free. I am free to express myself. Think of how many people in this world lack the freedom of expressing themselves through something as simple as a blog. How many people in this world are slaughtered for voicing political dissent? I see politics being debated everyday on Facebook; but how many of them stop to appreciate the fact that they are even able to voice their opinions on political matters, especially when they are in direct opposition of our government? I appreciate that freedom very much. I am pursuing my education. How many people through out history have been beheaded for even attempting to educate themselves? I married someone I love, instead of having a husband forced upon me- not criticizing those who view this as a cultural norm, it’s just sad when someone genuinely doesn’t want to marry someone, even out of a sense of duty, yet are forced to do so anyways. I have three children. No one dictated to me how many children I could have. I just feel free. No, my life isn’t perfect. I have my own financial burdens. I have my own set of worries and troubles. But I value them as well- because without the bad, we can’t really appreciate the good. Without misfortune, we would never have fortune…. people have to fail in order to succeed. It’s all part of a learning process. I value life and liberty and for me, that’s enough. Material gain isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. There once was a time that people were happy to have a small, one bedroom home to fit their family as well as their extended family. That was probably their American dream. But people become accustomed to trying to measure up to those around them. Are you really that bad off because you don’t drive a BMW? People used to feel fortunate if they had a horse. I blame television, movies, magazines, music and the media for that one….. we have been conditioned to equate material gain with success. How can I admire someone because they drive a fancy car, when in theory, I could own a car just like it? No, I admire people who cherish values and principles over material things. I admire people who appreciate the small things. Today in one of my classes, we talked about shifting one’s paradigm…. how you see things, how you view the world around you. If you can change the way you perceive things, you could become happy with FAR less. By showing gratitude for the most basic things- food, shelter, clothing, etc- you open your eyes to a bigger picture. You feel more fulfilled. Being wealthy does not end your problems. It’s like this- imagine a man who struggles to pay his bills. Every month, he barely scrapes by to pay cable, car, mortgage, utilities, etc….the usual…. so he assumes he needs more money in order to keep his head above water. After months and months of worrying and stressing over financial issues, he finds a side gig and is able to bring in more than enough money to cover his monthly expenses…. but soon, he finds himself back where he started because with more money came more problems…. he now has to pay his gym membership, more money on entertainment, more expensive clothes, etc…. so he does it again…. he finds a way to obtain more money yet finds himself struggling once again. The process repeats over and over and over. That’s how I view our population- we are a culture of want. We want it all. We are never satisfied. People take high paying jobs to keep up with their neighbors yet are incredibly unhappy because they feel a void….. they aren’t pursuing *their* dream. That’s why I don’t understand why someone would laugh at me for majoring in Philosophy….. So what if I don’t make a killing with a liberal arts degree? Who said I had to anyways? How am I any more pathetic than someone who goes to school to be a nurse yet HATES the idea of being a nurse?! Ever had a shitty nurse in the hospital? One who CLEARLY needed to find a new profession? I have lol. THAT is sad. People expect that we ALL want the same things……we do NOT want the same things. “Don’t you want a job that makes decent money?” well……what do you consider decent money? My ideals are just different from most. As long as I have the necessities, I am happy. I am totally content right now. I am curious as to where life will take me but I do NOT sit around worrying about how I am going to get rich. I do NOT sit around stressing out about the things most stress out about. I have everything I need in life. If I get more, that’s great….. but my happiness does not depend on it.

So now that I have finished my little rant, I will get to bed….. late…. again……lol