Blog #1: My American Dream
When I think of
the American Dream, I think of what I wish to obtain for my children and
grandchildren. My thoughts do not concern the immediate future because I am
aware that the society I currently live in is far from my idea of the American
Dream. Society’s standards of beauty, the country’s political turmoil and loose
laws concerning the right to carry firearms are only a number of the pressing
issues our society currently faces. None of them being problems that will be resolved quickly. As
a millennial, I can only think of ways to obtain the American Dream for the nation’s
future generations rather than for myself.
My American
Dream is to be able to raise my children—and see other children being raised—in
a world where I don’t have to worry about them developing the same insecurities
and worries as I did. I wish to live in a world where incoming generations are
not frightened to walk the streets at night because of inefficient firearm laws. I
want to create a safer environment where they don’t have to worry about being
attacked and protecting themselves. I also want to build a society where what
it means to be a member of the LGBTQ community does not have to be taught
because it is as socially accepted as heterosexuality; a society where the news
isn’t flooded with hate crimes, white supremacy protests, and incompetent
public officers.
But besides the
nation’s political turbulence standing in the way of my American Dream, there
are smaller, simpler aspects of twenty-first century life that I wish to shield
future generations from. Coming from a competitive high school, I constantly
worried about my grades, tests scores, and amount of extra curricular
activities. I want to bring up my children in a society where they aren’t
pressured to get the highest scores or most leadership positions. I don’t want
them to feel embarrassed for not being able to keep up with the competitiveness
of receiving a college education. Nor do I want them feeling insecure because
of society’s constantly increasing standards of beauty. Future generations
should be able to decide their own road after high school as well as their own
idea of beauty (rather then getting swept up in what is predetermined by
society).
My American
Dream consists of a world free of hate, violence, and judgment. Despite being
seemingly cliché and simple, I know my idea of the American Dream cannot be
achieved easily. I, and others who dream of a similar future for our nation,
must endure everything we hope future generations will never experience. We
must teach them the tolerance and self-awareness we wish our society was
filled with. Although my American Dream has not been attained, I
believe I am living it as I witness the growth of positivity, broad-mindedness,
and tolerance in this time of political unrest. As I see my peers and friends achieve wonderful things, I witness the development
of amazing people who will bring our society one step closer to the American
Dream.
As I see people
hold counter protests in response to white supremacy and teach individuals how
to accept themselves as well as others—all the while working towards increasing
my own tolerance—I believe I am living my American Dream. By chasing after the
society I hope to bring my children up in, I am slowly bringing my American Dream to life.
I really enjoyed reading your take on the American Dream. I myself also came from a very competitive high school and though it helped me challenge myself, I was always afraid of failure because then I would be looked down up and not good enough to my peers. With your argument regarding the news showing all the hate crimes and much more, I think that it is the media`s fault for always showing this. There are many positive stories out there such as people helping the poor and other officers who help civilians. Though there is no way to actually shift the negative to positive, we can help in a way by not listening to these stories and merely ignoring them (since most of the negative media creates more problems). We have several similarities in our American dreams and hopefully one day they can be achieved.
ReplyDeleteYour perspective of the American dream is enlightening in that it is original yet understandable. Moreover, both of your perspectives of your own personal American dream are incredibly selfless, which I feel goes beyond however simple you believe your dream to be. My own personal dream is related to your own in that I am concerned about how I will be able to provide for my future children as well my parents after they are no longer able to provide for me.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree that it is not difficult to see how American youth have been and are continuously exposed to many negative aspects of our society, such as violent protests across the country as well as the overwhelming pressures of both "beauty" and "intelligence." It is definitely frustrating to feel part of a system that many times recognizes high scores and competitiveness much more than creativity and self-expression.
Your dream is so open minded and selfless that it is reasonable to think that it will be difficult to achieve. However, the scale and selflessness of your own American dream is incredibly commendable, and the fact that you see yourself living out this dream now shows your dedication to its fulfillment, which I am certain will be more than rewarding in the end.
I never really thought about the American Dream being more of a future idea, but I completely agree with it! I love the way you described how it's about the future generations and creating a more perfect world for them rather than for yourself. I also relate to those high school pressures of being a "perfect" student who's well-rounded and smart and hardworking. Everything in middle/high school was about trying to do well in order to look good for colleges and competing against other kids across the country. I felt like I wasn't even gonna make it into a good college! I also agree with your point about society's standards about beauty and how that's such an important thing. So many girls and guys are worried about their images and trying to look cool that they are molded into someone they aren't, which is sad. Despite these pressures, I've learned to try to block out others' negative opinions and judgements because it only brings me down. I think it's vital to be yourself so you can be comfortable and happy.
ReplyDeleteYour perception of the American Dream seeks for perfection in our society. Although it may be hard for everything to occur at once, I believe that it may be possible in the future as well. Competition is what comes to mind when thinking about the struggles it took to get to where you are today and I respect that. Certain change has to happen in order for your ideal dream to take place and I support that. I'm not saying that it will be sudden or that all people are going to be aboard with change, but resistance would be a good motivating factor behind your cause.
ReplyDeleteProgress may be slow, but as long as people are willing to work toward this progress, the changes will happen.
ReplyDelete