by Velma aka Shammah

Created on: March 29, 2008

I have two questions; what is the "American dream" and when and by whom was it labeled the American dream?

If the "American dream" was birthed by the first settlers of America then I would think their "dream" would have been less "greedy, lustful and prideful" than those of us living in the 21st century, right? If I, as an American (Canadian actually, but still North America) look back over the short span of my own life time, I can see how what I feel is my "ideal dream" state is full of "more stuff" than my parents and my parents more than their parents and so on, ad infinitum.

I do not think the American dream has faded, if we are talking about the "original" dream - to settle in a land that was free and that provided the opportunity to live a satisfying life in that land of freedom. People are stilling crossing our shores for that same simply reason; for a better life. Those people still carry the torch of that dream, but sadly are currently outnumbered by the rest of us who seem to have lost our way.

We as people, on the individual and collective scale, for some reason have developed a thinking process that has us demanding more and more stuff that will make us content. Whereas those who first settled this land were content having food, a roof over their head, clothing and the opportunity to make an honest living.

North America, today,has become the land of "corporate America," where making a living doing whatever you have to do to earn that living is just not good enough. It is the new immigrants who settle in this country that do not find it beneath themselves to wash floors, wash dishes, drive taxis, deliver papers and flyers; to do whatever they have to do to "make an honest living" and provide for themselves and their families.

Our job descriptions have become our identities, and thus we have imposed a set of values on America as a whole that has birthed these resurgences of greed, lust and pride.

No wonder the American dream appears to be fading; it's overshadowed by the three pillars of greed, lust and pride. We're lost in the dark; our lights have dimmed.

The American dream has faded, BUT it is still there, though barely perceptible, and we as a people can rekindle that tiny spark, that fading dream, into a living and vibrant reality, if we but see what is really important in our lives.

Then, as the flame takes hold, the once blazing torches of greed, lust and pride without the fuel to feed them, will slowly fade into nothing; snuffed out by the whispering song of new hope born again.

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