Scratch Beginnings_ Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream - Adam W. Shepard [104]
More than anything else over the course of my project, I grew to appreciate, even more than before, that we live in the greatest country in the world. America is more fertile and full of more opportunity than any other country. We are the eminent superpower of the planet. Can you imagine the results if I had done my project anywhere else in the world? You think I would have had quite the success if I would have started in Asia or Eastern Europe or Latin America? You ever been to Guatemala? Wow. You want to talk about poor people with little opportunity? They live in huts, grow their own food, and drink unsanitary water. Their economy is so bad that they immigrate to Mexico in search of more favorable circumstances. So, in spite of all the whining and complaining that goes on in our country, I’d say we’re doing all right.
Perhaps the ultimate irony of my project is that the American Dream has evolved into so much more than financial ambition. It used to be that a European sold all of his possessions and sailed to Ellis Island with $100 in his back pocket and a dream in his head. He worked hard in a factory, got married, and had 2.3 kids. His children worked hard and got an education so that their children could have a better life. And on and on and on and well, here we are.
But today, the American Dream means so much more. Coupled with the ideal that you have the freedom to work hard and accomplish what you want in your life, it’s about finding happiness and solace in your present lifestyle. This is a fact. I know it, because I saw it. Just as I met people that would rather own a Cadillac with shiny chrome rims than a home, I met people who didn’t care about their car or their furnishings or where they lived; they knew they’d have all of that one day, and they were driven by that satisfaction and that motivation. Some are happy now and are on a quest to stay that way. Others, in search of unworthy pursuits, are after a happiness that they may never find.
Why? Mainly, because so many of us don’t have five-year plans on how we are going to better our lot over time rather than search for quick fixes. A five-year plan is invaluable. It gives us a sense of purpose in our present lives, the peace of mind every day that what we are doing has a purpose, a means to an end. A five-year plan doesn’t have to be set in stone but should be an amendable draft that serves as a guideline for our future. A fat savings account, a house, a business, a management position. Knowing what we want and setting the gears in motion gets us up in the morning and keeps us going throughout the day. “In five years, I’m going to be doing bigger and better things.” Exactly. Now, go do it.
Some people do have five-year plans. I met a guy when I was working at RDU Airport who went grocery shopping every two weeks at BJ’s Warehouse and bought all of his food for that time period. He never went out to eat, always packed his meals, or cooked them at home. Why? “I did a little experiment a few years ago,” he said. “My wife and I save six hundred dollars a month this way.”
Unfortunately, few of us take ownership of our lives. We live in an “It ain’t my fault” society. Nothing is our fault. Ever. We’re fat because of our genetics, we suck at math because we had a bad teacher, and we’re cheating on our wives because they aren’t putting out like they used to. It has nothing to do with the fact that we aren’t eating right or exercising, that we aren’t doing our homework, or that we aren’t pulling our own weight in our marriages. It’s everybody else’s fault. It ain’t ours.
And that’s the biggest difference I noticed between the people who appeared