[work] The New American Dream
Our parents hit their 30s during the peak of Reaganomics- they lived fast & spent big. Mine even had matching BMWs. It was the golden age of shopping malls, walking like an Egyptian and swiping your MasterCard.
But the world has changed- all these financial crises are, in part, due to a definition of success as outdated as The Bangles themselves. The ideal of working 30-plus years for a single company, building your 401k to retire at 65 with a nest-egg, has failed us as Americans. Big companies have taken our pensions (Enron) and our years (Boeing). In fact, the old Boeing retiree data shows that for every year one works beyond age 55, one loses, on average, 2 years of life span. Yikes, people.
So how do we combat these ideologies in a GM- and Reagan- postmortem world? We live our dreams, now. In our 20s, 30s, 40s. No more lay-offs or mandatory Saturdays, undefined by the things we have. We, as a generation, can live simply & happily doing what we love, every day. You may take a bit of a pay-cut, but consider how much you’d get back from your tax return if you kept receipts for selling-out.
So you may never go 0-60 in your new vette, but luckily you live in Wichita, where, frankly, a vintage Schwinn will get you farther. It’s easy to make things happen here- whether that be a craft, a skill, or an event. Unlike L.A. or Nashville, artists and musicians have so many receptive venues in Wichita to showcase themselves, without a cutthroat sense of competition. Housing is cheap, business spaces are affordable, and generally people understand the importance of shopping locally. And because of those of us who are going to be here a while, there’s a great network of support for anyone with the courage to follow their dreams.
I pose the question then, what’s your dream job? What do you love doing, and would probably do for free anyway? And finally, what are you waiting for? This is the New American Dream. I look forward to reading your postings.
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Great article, Kali!! My dream? To get elected to the ICT City Council so I can help people like you and other locals with a “can-do” spirit start successful businesses. We have the talent, passion, and people capitol here. We just need to harness it. I hope to help facilitate that from City Hall next year. Even more, though, I hope our generation takes your message to heart–THAT is how this city will really start to soar!
Great Article, I really enjoyed reading it.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who feels this way. I would add this, though: It seems that the age of production is over. Part of the reason those 30 year pension jobs are no longer viable is because the world doesn’t need anymore crap, so we don’t need to produce anything.
My dream goes something like this: Make a living.
That’s it. I don’t need a lot; I’m happy as a personal trainer, and could continue to work in the fitness world (subversively) for many years. Add to that some freelance writing (which I do), growing my own food (which I don’t), and some other various income streams (visit my blog, y’all!), and I would be quite happy.
Now for the place: I have dreams of living in a rural area on a small patch of land in some kind of tepee or hut. No, really. That’s my dream. Live simply, justly, in a way that minimizes oppression of other people.
So . . . anyone need a personal trainer? ;-)
Thanks Kali, this really spoke to me as I am stuck in this place right now. I have always dreamed of “making a living” doing what I love, what really makes me happy. I guess what really holds me back from doing this is fear. Fear that I wont be able to pay the mortgage for this house my husband and I have worked so hard for. In reality I was so stressed and unhappy working so hard doing what I was doing and all for the better good of some crappy corporation who in turn laid me off. Thanks alot huh? You are definately an example for me and other people to look up to, to see where you have taken your dream and been so successful at it! What a great article!
Part of the reason for the massive lay-offs and loss of jobs is, in fact, outsourcing to other countries. China, in particular, makes soooo much of what we use and rely on everyday. We just don’t make that much stuff for ourselves in this country anymore. The “whys” are many and varied, depending on who you talk to, but the bottom line is there.
So, you’re right. Even more important, I think, is that hopefully this last economy collapse will have taught more people to truly live within their means and think hard before they borrow. Buying the biggest house/car/rv/etc the bank says you can afford is kind of dumb if you’ve calculated out your expenses and you know for a fact what kind of payment you can realistically make, and still save for a rainy day. We all need to be smarter than the bank who is looking to make money off our interest and fees, the salesman who works on commission, and the “keeping up with the Jones’” mentality.
In the meantime? Buy a good book on how to fix your own appliances (it’s actually very easy, most of the time), basic tools, learn how to reinforce your insulation in your home, keep yourself healthy to minimize excessive use of the healthcare system, and keep hugging the people and pets you love. Everything will be ok.
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