-Too Tired to Get the American Dream

When was the last time you were in a bakery? Or a chocolate shop? Standing in front of the selection, looking at everything there is to choose from, trying to decide what looks best. Walking back and forth past the glass, imagining what will be most delicious. It can almost be overpowering, attempting to figure out the best choice. Sometimes it is hard to pick just one or two, and you begin to think you could take it all; you begin to want it all. You could always just take one of everything, eat until you are overly content and then regret it all an hour later. Then comes the recovery work out, an empty attempt to undo the damages. So all you end up with is extra calories and exhaustion from a post workout frenzy. What seemed like such a nice thing just ends up costing you and leaving you more tired then when you started out. If trying to decide upon a simple cookie or coconut crème truffle can possibly lead to this kind of trouble just think what the bigger issues could induce. Trying to decide upon whether to go for the extra hours at work, more minutes to study for class, more free time to connect with friends or more efforts committed to trying to build a relationship; sure we can have it all, but is having it all too much to handle?
Although the American Dream has been changed, modified and redone more times then Meg Ryan’s face it still does exist, and for the most part it still means having it all. These days it is just a little more personal and individual, but most people still have some semblance of a life they are trying to achieve. Chances are it is a life filled with occupations, obligations and lots of occurrences. At this point in time we are supposed to be focusing on academics. Pursuing a higher education is almost mandated upon us, it is built into our age appropriate American life so that it can lead us to the coveted American Dream. Last I checked though, college can be one long exhausting mess. With deadlines, due dates and daily journals it is far too easy to get lost inside of it. Then there are those of us who also have to feed our bank accounts, which is another thing that takes our time and can consume us. Even if the economy weren’t on the edge of destruction, it is still far too easy to get tired out from bringing in money. So with those two exhaustions taking up our time it is hard to fit in any other occurrences, either planned or unplanned. Sure it is important to prepare for the future and work towards our dreams, but are we going to be able to stay awake if we ever reach them? Sometimes it seems like we will be too tried out from working for it to ever have the chance to enjoy it.
Who said having it all was the most important thing anyways? I think going for a few things and having them be perfect is far better then going for everything and having it all be mundane. Maybe they were right when they said “less is more”, maybe the fewer things you have to worry about the better. I have found that getting everything you wanted, or coming close to that, can be more tiring then being without it. Inevitably there will be that moment, amidst the euphoria of living out your American Dream, where you begin to think what a nightmare it would be to lose it all and how tired you are from holding it together. Sure I have dreams, but I want to be awake to enjoy them, so I try to keep it basic. Who wants it all, when all you really need it love. That is the ultimate dream, isn’t it? Love is what gives you energy, makes you get out of bed in the morning. Love is what keeps you awake when all you want to do is pass out. So yes, we can have it all, but I can’t even keep a plant alive so having it all is not that appealing. I am aiming to have love, that one thing that makes you feel like you have it all.