Here in the US, most Americans opine and pontificate about
the American dream – a life of bountiful opportunities available and taken, of
material successes acquired as a result, of satisfaction and contentment, and maybe
even peace, enjoyed as its fruits.
Many of us immigrants also migrate to the US
with the profound intention of getting our share of the American dream, which
typically may not have been possible in the old homelands we came from. Once acquired, the ensuing reality is doubly
enjoyable and valuable. More
penetratingly felt and treasured when compared with the others.
But dreams conceived and sought after are not static; they
change as time passes, as personal conditions change or as perceptions change. As new experiences are gathered and assessed,
dreams take on new colors or perceptions
could morph. At times it could engender
frustration and depression. Thus many could
wonder what went wrong, where they erred or whether the dream acquired is as it
was conceived and pursued.
Especially true with first generation immigrants who came to
the US as
adults, laden with the entire emotional luggage acquired from their left-behind
lives. So that as they grow older and
able to nurse more free time to think about the rest of their lives, they begin
to think differently and start assessing how and where their waning lives could
be better spent. They do have the option
not enjoyed by most natives of the US . They usually could go back to the old
homeland and try to resume their old lives, bringing with them scarce resources
acquired in the adopted country, resources which could garner more mileage and
value in the old country.
And many do commit themselves to doing such a thing, to
pursue the alternative hoping to better their retirement lives.
So that in our own family
circles, we count members who have started their exodus, winding down whatever
business and concern that need to be addressed and plan for that big leap back
to more familiar surroundings.
For this group then, the current reality becomes the
nightmare that will have to be remedied and replaced with a somewhat recycled dream
that involves retracing old steps and old haunts that had initially produced
the dream that resulted in migration.
But for their children, unhindered by emotional luggage
coming into the adopted country, the reality continues to be the dream they had
envisioned and pursued. They are at home
with their current surroundings, almost oblivious to the option that their
older parents may have always had in the back of their minds in all the years
that they spent in the adopted country. The new generations then are almost
unable to perceive living elsewhere as an available option.
In summary, the American dream may be viewed differently
even within the same family. For the
children of the original immigrants it will continue to be the dream of their
reality. But for their surviving parents
the reality they left behind to pursue their dream may now be the dream they
would like to pursue.
Eagerly hoping that that dream becomes their reality
soonest.
We each pursue the dream that will be the reality following it.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Welcome. Your comments are appreciated.