Tuesday, September 20, 2005

About Me... The American Dream


Here is my ugly pic....

Hey all, my name is Shawn. I have decided to create this blog of random thoughts and insights from my life, and my experiences. I have never done anything like this in my life. Not because I haven't wanted to, but because I am a pretty private person, and I do not like letting people close to me( In fear of being judged or hurt). But, since the majority of you are strangers, Here it goes....

"The American Dream"...


We all want it, don't we? I guess everyone has their own version of this dream, but I imagine most of them are similiar. Everyone wants the big house, the perfect spouse, the perfect kids, enough money to spend happily. Some want to be successful in their profession to the highest degree. And when I say successful I mean make a lot of money. I think the biggest difference between our dream and other peoples is that we want all this to come easily. Hard work has become something that our parents and grandparents tell us about. We believe that we are owed things, and should not have to work to hard to get them. We go to college to get a degree in something or other, and when we are done we believe there should be a career just waiting for us. Come on people, college is not hard work! Is it a pain in the ass? Yes. Hard? No. College is about as easy as high school, with less classes, and less responsibility. This is what makes it hard... It is more parties, girls( or boys ), games, free time, etc. Ok, maybe some of you had to work a job while attending classes, working at the book store 30 hours a week. I feel you. Its tough. Look up sarcasm.

Now as you are patting yourself on the back, pick up the phone and call your father or grandfather. Tell him Hi, and that you miss him. Now, ask him what kind of job he had while in HIGH SCHOOL. Not college.... High School! My father worked at a lumber yard forty hours a week unloading trains full of wood. No coming home from school, sitting on the couch watching TRL. No sir, he worked because his father had left his mother( with her seven kids ), to fend for herself. If he didn't work, they didn't eat, have heat, or electric. He studied in his "free time", which was at like two in the morning. He fought sleepiness as he studied, and hoped to do well enough to get a scholarship to college. Without a scholarship there would be no college. Guess he didn't study enough, because he didn't go to college. He felt like a failure to his mother, two sisters and four brothers. They didn't see him as one, because he paid for food, lights, clothes, and anything else that your parents gave you. Thats Hard work, hard times, hard luck....