by Sean Curtis

Created on: April 11, 2008

The American dream is something that morphs and changes as different generations age. In general, each generation has a new set of values that govern their lives. These values end up dictating what the generation pursues in life, and thus, they end up shaping what each generation considers to be the American dream.

For my grandparents, three of the four of which immigrated to America, the American dream was a very real, tangible thing. Life was all about getting by. They worked in coal factories and on railroads, they had farms and tiny little houses, and they always had dirt beneath their fingernails. They rigorously pursued the American dream themselves, but more importantly, they pursued it for their children. They didn't attend college, but they demanded that their children did. The American dream was being realized on a daily basis.

For my parents, and I believe many people their age, they were determined to make money and provide those things for their children that their own parents couldn't afford. They watched their parents work their fingers to the bone just to afford a rickety bicycle or worn out baseball glove for their kids. Our parents decided that their children would have the nicest bicycle money could buy. For many, the American dream was achieved. They had nice homes and nice cars and their children, my generation, were off at college to being a pursuit of their own American dream.

Now, it's a difficult time in our country's history to assess the current state of the American dream. Our country feels so divided, we're in the middle of an extremely controversial war, and our perception around the world has declined. As well, we're a generation of cynics. The idea of a proverbial "American dream" doesn't hold the same mystique that it did years ago. My generation is starting to realize that we may be the first in our country's history to not achieve the level of financial success that our parents did. Given the state of the economy and America's weakening global position, achieving personal wealth is no longer at the root of the American dream.

So I believe our generation is redefining that dream. My generation of 30-somethings has become a generation of thinkers. We're introspective and analytical. We worry about personal growth and happiness as much as we worry about money. Many of us would rather work a more enjoyable job that pays less than a high paying job that will make us miserable. We have recreated the American dream to suit this realization. To me, the dream is not about wealth or material gain. It's about getting back to a way of life that is simple and peaceful, and to live in a country in which people have compassion, understanding, and tolerance for one another. It's a less concrete American dream, but it's still composed of the same basic element of hope.

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