Dichotamy of the American Dream

They come here by the thousand, millions perhaps. They come from all nations and places across the world. They come from down under, from our little brother Mexico. They come legally, illegally, any way possible just to come here for "The American Dream".

The United States of America, land of the free, home of the brave?

The dream is spun of hopes of a better life. A life where you can earn an honest days wage, and at the end of the trail, a retirement to ensure your dream never ends.
We flaunt our riches with all of Hollywoods glint and glimmer. We showcase celebrities lifestyles of the rich and famous. We drip with the wealth of the nations, and others take heed.
So smugly we trade our American dollars..... 1 of ours to ten of theirs. We parade ourselves as the best of the best as we trade in our slightly used Lexus for a newer model.
A 3 bedroom house is not befitting us, we must have more. We must have the 3 car garage, the 5 bedroom mansion equipped with the hot tub and heated floors. We must have it all, for we are the royalty of the world.
Us, Americans...... the best of the best?

Our little brother to the south, can hardly pronounce most of our English words....but they try anyway. Something like "How ees you today?" "Dat esss goood" and stupid happy little jingles like "Don't worry be HOPI" rolls off their tongues in hopes of communicating with the royals of the world.
How daunting it must be, to be so close........ just 'under the USA, yet so very far away. A big metal wall is suppose to keep them out, but they find a way around, thru, over or under. Nothing will stop them, for they believe in the 'American Dream.

I try to say, "Its not what you think, this good ole USA"...

Our families have to work. There are no mama's in the kitchens anymore. The babies are shipped off to 'day care centers, and papa has two jobs just to pay the mortgage.
When the car breaks down, we don't know a quick Mexican fix, we have to go to the expensive car garage and pay a mechanic 60.00 an hour......... How do we pay for that? We charge it!
As a matter of fact, most of us have 2, 3 maybe 4 charge cards. We don't hope to ever get them paid off, we just hope to maintain a minimum payment.

We don't sit at each others verandas just to visit and sip tequila with the sundown...... planning the next fiesta, oh no,we don't have that kind of leisure, so we give a quick text on our cell phone and sit staring at it in silence, waiting for the buzz that means we have an answer. We could do that all day and never once hear a human voice......we text in the car, in the restaurant, in the house...that way, we don't even need to listen to the other person...... we can just read the words.

Our Mama's grab a pre-made 'Domino's Pizza on the way home...... hoping it will still be warm until Papa gets home........ but if not, that's OK, we all have a microwave for that. Zap it in the mic, and there you go! A nice warm radiated dinner..... it works, and everyone loves it!

I try to warn them when they drool over our 'mansions....... 'You don't actually own your home for the next 30 years. Its a fallacy to think you have 'bought a new home. What you actually did was enslave yourself to the fat cat banker. And if you don't believe me, try missing a couple of those payments, and see how long that house feels like YOURS! About the time you have paid for this thing called a house, its ready to fall down, and you have to get a new mortgage to repair the roof, fix the broken concrete, re-do the electrical and maybe even the plumbing........... you will never own this home.

I try to say, just stay in Mexico! You still have a culture! Mama is still at the hearth, rolling those homemade tortillas, and preparing the Mango juice fresh from the backyard tree.
Papa just finished with the latest addition to the casa, and its paid for even before he started!
Your concrete and stucco structure will still be there when the grand kids are grown.....
There are no 30 year enslavement loans in Mexico!
You may only average 90.00 a week, but, you live like a King. You always have warm food fresh from the oven, and day cares are un-heard of..... Grand Mama lives with you, and makes sure the babies are safe.... and you repay her with a home and love and care until she is no more, setting the example for the next generation.
You walk or take a cheap taxi to the market........... you sew a few garments............... you mend everything. There is no such thing as a Goodwill, because you make use of all your things...
And, at the end of the day, there are no bills, no worries, no overdue bills in the mail. You may not have all the embellishments of a society drowning in debt, but, you have family. You have culture. You have the next generation. You have hope.

Believe me Mexico, the American Dream is a never ending nightmare. Just stay home.
Stop sending your youth to die in our deserts, trying to find the American dream.
It is no more........
Your much richer than us...... don't believe the lie.
Mexican reality surpasses the American dream...

~Just stay home.~