To me, the idea of the American Dream has always taken me back to the post-WWII era of the 1950's and 1960's. This was a time when hundreds of thousands of war-hardened men were returning home from the front, eager to continue where from where their lives had been left off. For most, this meant finding a job, buying a new car, getting hitched, acquiring a mortgage and a home, and ultimately raising a family. This typically occurred in that order or something similar. The men expected to get up and go to work each day to provide for the family, and the women expected to (or at least, others expected them to) stay home and care for the children and the house. On top of these things, from the 1920's onward, the American society developed an affinity for purchasing the greater things in life, like new brand appliances and inventions. A family might consider themselves well to do if they had a quaint home with a well-kept lawn, a sky-blue Hudson Hornet in the garage, a few kids in the living room watching I Love Lucy on the tube, a woman managing the appliance-filled kitchen, and a man returning home from a day's work. How sweet.
To me, the whole 1950's American Dream situation would feel pretty awkward if I were to live it out in today's day and age. I picture wealth as being mentally/physically/financially stable and being able to spend my life with someone whom I love, trust, and enjoy spending time with. The details don't really matter to me. I don't really care if I live in the city, or the suburbs, or the country. I don't care what the dynamics of my family become, as long as we are all comfortable with them. This is what would make me happy, and that is what I strive to be in life: happy.
The idea of the American Dream seems to me like it tends to create an "us vs. the world" situation, where we will do whatever it takes to accomplish our goals. This can cause Americans (and anyone really) to focus more on their own desires rather than the well being of others and the world as a whole. People (myself included) often tend to overlook those less fortunate than themselves, preferring to spend their money on a new __INSERT CONSUMER ITEM HERE__ rather than paying for a homeless person's next meal. This creates a destructive and self-continuing cycle that, in general, makes the world crappy.
Therefore, thus, henceforth and forthwith, I think that we should popularize a term along the lines of the Globally-Minded World Citizen Dream (basically, the true IB Student's Dream). This dream would entail an individual pursuing his/her own personal dreams while at the same time recognizing and attempting to remedy situations such as poverty, hunger, political instability, etc. Of course an individual can't make much of a difference themselves in the grand scheme of things, but if the Globally-Minded World Citizen Dream (I expect credit if this term becomes a big thing) is believed in and worked towards by many, the world would become an inexorably better place.
