For many people living and working in this country, the American Dream defines their aspirations. By hard work and meaningful sacrifices, Americans can reach their lifelong goals, whether a short-order cook or a NASA astronaut. The ālife, liberty and the pursuit of happinessā that our Founding Fathers penned seems to exist even while we sleep.
But if there is an American Dream, there is an American Nightmare. No amount of hardscrabble labor nor profound sacrifices can enable everybody to āget ahead.ā Instead, people get left behind in the shuffle.
And two things best define mainstream American society: home ownership and holy matrimony. Mortgage and marriage speak to the aspirations of the American working, middle and upper classes.
So what does the American Dream look like in these two concepts? How about the following: the million-dollar house, two āBeamersā in the garage, closets bursting with designer clothes, a kitchen with the finest appliances, a safe neighborhood in which to live with conscientious, discreet neighbors. All in all, the āwhite picket fence.ā And the house becomes populated by the product of holy matrimony ā parents and children.
But the American Nightmare can lurk just around the corner ā selling the home to avoid foreclosure, having cars repossessed, consigning those designer clothes, piling up dirty dishes in the sink and rotting food in the broken fridge, experiencing seemingly rampant crime and dealing with no(i)sy neighbors. That white picket fence hasnāt had a fresh coat of paint in years!
Not to mention infidelity and divorce, disagreement on parenting styles, inability to pay for the childrenās college education, premarital sex, teenage pregnancy, custody battles, alimony, child support ā¦ you name it, the experience of the American Nightmare can include it.
These days, there are serious discussions as to the viability of the American Dream. It is not that it is impossible to attain, but rather at what cost (and not merely financial) is it attainable, considering the opposite pull of the American Nightmare?
Perhaps there is more than one type of American Dream, and more than one type of American Nightmare.
I rent an apartment, with one car in the parking lot and a closet full of everyday brands. I do my own dishes and have serviceable kitchen appliances. I lock my apartment door at night, with neighbors who are good people but with different lifestyles. And if I am not married and have no children, so there is no danger of divorce or infidelity, no alimony, no squabbles over how to raise children, no paying for college educations, no child support, no custody battles.
In this great country of ours, there are as many American Dreams as there are American citizens. So let us not force ourselves into a cookie-cutter mold but rather shape ourselves into a life worth living. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness indeed!
This article originally was published in the Trib Live digital newspaper on April 14, 2025.
Please click on the link below to read the original version of this article:
https://triblive.com/opinion/jason-w-park-american-dream-or-american-nightmare-choose-wisely/
Jason W. Park, a writer based in Los Angeles, grew up in Pittsburgh.
