American Dream?
Jun. 27th, 2005 04:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
doodlemaierJust overheard a conversation among the cubicles around me (all immigrants, except for C - 2nd generation Chinese) about the American Dream. Started with J relating the woes he and his fiance' are going through of looking for a house to buy in this area. I heard a lot of 'why don't you look for a condo?', etc. He said that the idea of the 'American Dream' was land ownership. This definition, which was mine once as a child, and now that I think about it, is rather out-dated: Homesteading! But obviously this still rings true for more and more people. But any way, it started the discussioin about how people's individual interpretation of the 'American Dream' differ. C stated that her's was to be free as a bird; be able to pick up and go anywhere, anytime. This seemed to be more of the (canned, vanilla-flavored, garden variety) dream of the single person. That was mine too, once in the not-too-distant past, simple and portable; but I and my penis managed to fuck that one up.
At no point did they ask me about my version of the American Dream. Maybe because I'm not an immigrant, or because (maybe, why I'm not included in many of the little conversations around my cube) they knew they were going to get some off-the-hook comment, such as . . ."American dream? Hell, I guess dump enough imported oil to cover the entire surface of the Potomac river, ignite that and overthrow the corrupt status quo while it burns. . ."
But seriously folks, that would never happen because to transform the status quo, I'd need the help of lots more people as pissed off as I am, and the truth be known, most people are willing to accept some watered-down, deferred version of the American Dream (whatever it was for them once). Or even worse, they're happy with the way things are . . .
It'd be dream enough for me to learn how to truly transcend this illusion that holds us locked into this paradigm of competition, consumption, and greed.
At no point did they ask me about my version of the American Dream. Maybe because I'm not an immigrant, or because (maybe, why I'm not included in many of the little conversations around my cube) they knew they were going to get some off-the-hook comment, such as . . ."American dream? Hell, I guess dump enough imported oil to cover the entire surface of the Potomac river, ignite that and overthrow the corrupt status quo while it burns. . ."
But seriously folks, that would never happen because to transform the status quo, I'd need the help of lots more people as pissed off as I am, and the truth be known, most people are willing to accept some watered-down, deferred version of the American Dream (whatever it was for them once). Or even worse, they're happy with the way things are . . .
It'd be dream enough for me to learn how to truly transcend this illusion that holds us locked into this paradigm of competition, consumption, and greed.
