My American Dream

Darkness overwhelmed the arena. Out of breath, the cool crisp air rushed across my face as the ice skating routine came to a close. For a moment, silence, followed by loud cheers, praise and applause galore. The lights turned on, beaming periodically directly into my eyes. Squinting, looking for familiar faces, I came across my grandparents. The look of joy on their faces was incredibly comforting, yet I came to the harsh realization that my parents were not with them. Growing up, my parents worked multiple jobs to support our family. We lived in a house without walls in our kitchen, a tub sink to wash dishes in and ate on a strict eating regiment that consisted of macaroni and cheese, Chef Boyardee and other value boxed items. We had multiple blankets on our beds and socks always on our feet as our house was at an all-time …show more content…
My grandpa sat down with me to give me some words of wisdom. "Try hard and you will succeed. Hard work and perseverance will pay off in the end and you will go far and maybe live the American Dream" he said. After he said those words, I sat uneasy and I reflected back on my life and the struggles my family and I went through. My mom and dad both worked two jobs, fifty hours and six days a week, were both fiscally responsible, yet still struggled to keep a roof over our heads and food on our plates. How could I believe my grandpa after everything I grew up experiencing? "More and more Americans are realizing that the myth of the American Dream is exactly that – a myth. Part of our cultural identity as Americans is having the chance to make a better life than the life one was born into and the possibility of upward mobility through hard work, regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. But the economic turmoil of recent years combined with a growing stratification between the rich and poor have begun to wear away at the promise of a better life, regardless of hard work or