Chasing The Dream

In the song Free Will Canadian rock trio Rush state “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice”.  I’ve always loved that line because it’s so simple and has a taste of wise ass in it.  For the most part it’s a perfectly acceptable answer to most any inquiry.  However, it doesn’t apply when it comes to selecting the President of The United States.  It’s hard for me to take your opinions or objections seriously if you didn’t take the time to vote.

The candidate I voted for didn’t win.  While I was disappointed, it was short lived.  The country has a new president, and he’s an educated, intelligent and engaging figure.  He didn’t get my vote for one reason, his lack of experience.  I now must believe that President Obama will surround himself with knowledgeable, experienced people who will work tirelessly with only one goal in mind; getting the nation on track.

President Obama just may be the best example ever of “Living the American Dream”; however he is doing it when a huge portion of the country’s American Dream has been interrupted by nightmares.  It’s the nightmare on Main Street; and bankers, industry leaders and politicians are all wearing Fedora’s and doing their best Freddie Kruger impersonation.  And nobody is safe.  Nobody.

The problem is the meaning of The American Dream has changed dramatically over the years.  People used to dream of the white picket fence, a couple of kids and big Sunday dinners with family.  People worked incredibly hard to achieve The American Dream.  And more importantly, people worked incredibly hard to help others Dream as well.

When did it all change?  Maybe it happened while we were all sleeping, trying to find our own path to the Dream.  I’m not really sure, but the Dream has changed.  Instead of working hard and being thankful for our just rewards, we’ve become a nation of work less and demand more. 

Our priorities and judgment are confused to say the least.  The selfish athlete get’s the press while the guy spending extra time on the field gets ignored.  We can watch a High School Division III bowling match on TV, but have to search for information on the men and women in the armed services.

Think about it, the inauguration of President Obama was probably the most significant inauguration ever, and not just because of his African-American status.  It was viewed and covered pretty heavily.  However, it pales in comparison to today’s super bowl.  2 out of every 3 American’s will watch the game today.  Using the highest available numbers only 1 out of every 4 watched President Obama take his oath.

The ironic thing is that this super bowl has some legitimate role models participating.  Fitzgerald, Warner and Polamalu by all accounts are living the original American Dream.  Maybe that’s a sign of things changing, going back to what they should be.  Maybe things are going to get better and not worse as many predict.

And there it is.  Too many people sitting around predicting what will happen instead of getting up, going to work, giving everything they have to achieve the American Dream.  It’s up to each of us.  We have come to the fork in the road.  Time to decide a path.  And this time, if you choose not to decide, you’ll be left behind.

If more people chased the Dream, chased it the way our parents did, then we would see things get better.

And maybe then the Nightmares will stop.

As always, until next time, stay safe!

later,
dan

"My karma tells me, You've been screwed again! If you let them do it to ya, you've got yourself to blame! It's you who feels the pain! It's you who takes the shame!"