Dreamin' of . . .

The (American) Dream

If you asked any little kid today what they wanted to be when they grow up, you'd most likely get various answers: a doctor, an actor/actress, a Broadway performer, a vet. Typical young people dreams. As you move up and ask high-schoolers where they want to go to college and what they think they want to major in, the answers start to narrow down for some: pre-med, physical therapy, international business, biology. But once they make it through college, those dreams of being famous and making a lot of money fade for most. And typically they end up working any job they can find, whether or not it has anything to do with what they majored in. That's if they're lucky enough to find one.

I would describe the American Dream as just that. A dream. It's something that lingers in the minds of people as they trudge along day to day. Before the recession a couple years ago, I think the American Dream was to make enough money to live comfortably and not be restricted in what they can do and buy. But now, I think it's changed, for most, to having a stable job and not drowning in debt. For most, the stereotypical American Dream isn't what it was back in the 1920s.

Wealth is a word that has various definitions. For most, it is solely defined as monetary. (I Googled "wealth" to find a picture and the only images that popped up were of gold coins and dollar bills. Oh and expensive planes and cars.
So what does that tell you?) For me, I'd say that wealth is the culmination of what one has, both physical/monetary as well as the relationships and knowledge a person has. The major thing for me is that it isn't solely how much money a person has. One can have a wealth of knowledge, love, friendship, objects, etc. Wealth just means a great amount of something.

Overall American attitudes towards wealth are typically solely monetary because when a person hears "wealth," they think of money first. But according to The Census Bureau report in 2011, the poverty rate was at 15.0%, where 46.2 million Americans lived in poverty and the average household income is at $50,054. The divisions within class are obviously based on money so depending on where Americans fall, their attitudes towards wealth will differ. The same goes for poverty. Those who are in it and closer to it have stronger opinions about it.

My attitude towards wealth is that for those who are wealthy, good for them. They did well to get where they are and to have what they have. They probably had some helping hands and came into some good luck. They should do good things with their wealth. For those in poverty, it's most likely not completely their fault. I define poverty as those struggling to live without complete access to necessities that they need every day. I think the American government can DEFINITELY do more than they are doing right now to help those in poverty. The wealthy make up so little compared to the middle class and the poor.