Thursday, February 02, 2006

The American dream, seen from afar

Yesterday Meaghan and I were interviewed for television. One of the local Kragujevac channels is starting a show about interior design around the world, and they were curious about what kind of spaces Americans live in. (For those of you in KG, it's on Channel 9, and our episode should air Monday 13 February at 10 PM (22.00).) I always try to avoid speaking on behalf of "Americans," but we did describe the apartment and neighborhood where we lived in Brookline, Mass. before we moved out here. One thing that struck me during the interview was that the presenter asked about the "American dream" of owning real estate. This has always seemed a bit odd to me, as I'm scared to death of owning real estate. Between mortgages, points, prime rates, closings, settlements, and all that mumbo jumbo on one hand, and mowing grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow, buying washing machines, and fixing boilers on the other, my picture of the homeowner's life is pretty nightmarish. Maybe I'm just too young, seeing visions of a "grown-up" life of parenthood and homeownership that limits my conversational possibilities to my (hypothetical) newborn infant's bodily fluids on one hand, and home improvement projects on the other. Enough about my neuroses. The question is, what does the American dream have to do with real estate? Whenever someone mentions the American dream - and it's rarely, if ever, an American - I have to ask them what they picture. The best answer I've heard so far (from Meaghan) is that it's the principle of being able to live your life the way you want, and the idea that anything is within your reach if you work hard enough to get it. I can understand how that would connect with real estate if you come from 17th-century England or communist Eastern Europe, where everyday people were simply not permitted to own land unless they moved away to settle in the New World. Still, America is far too interesting and diverse a place for its guiding principle to be symbolized by a yuppie/Pleasantville scene of 2.4 kids and white picket fences. My own American dream is currently taking place some 6,000 miles from the US. Even as an American expat in Serbia, I recognize that I have certain rights and advantages that are not available to my hosts. I have steady, if short-term, employment from the U.S. government, I can travel to any number of neighboring countries without a visa, and I'm a native speaker of the world's #1 international language. To me, this freedom of movement is as much a part of the American dream as any right to own property. If you think about it, the apartment that I rent now, four small rooms filled with big Serbian furniture, expresses my personal version of the American dream better than any two-car garage.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Damn well put.

Anonymous said...

I think you have mixed up IN TV and channel 9!

Daniel said...

Are they owned by the same people? The presenter was trying to explain it to me, but I'm not sure she got it across. For some reason, my cable tv doesn't include In TV, so she mentioned Channel 9 as well.

Anonymous said...

For me it is the principle of being able to live your life the way you want, and the idea that anything is within your reach if you work hard enough to get it. Luckily, I didn't have to go too far so now I live my swiss dream. :)
If you happen to get the snapshot of the interview (e.g. in MP3) it would be nice to post it (if possible) on the blog.

Anonymous said...

Dan

You've got it; don't lose it.

Friends, family, liberty, freedom, opportunity and making a difference are 'the American Dream' that far too few pursue. Follow your dream and leave the white picket fence to the condo assn.

Bob O'C

Brooke said...

brilliant and well said!

John1975 said...

I agree! Isn't it weird how because of the U.S. Government the likes of myself and others like you are able to visit, live and experience different countries? And all because of war.

There hasn't been a country I've lived in where I wouldn't have been able to if there hadn't been some kind of war there in the frist place.

This is something I think about alot lately.

And yes, your "American Dream" idea is right on! For I grew up to poor to even begin to contemplate what that term really means.

Like you, I'm living my "DREAM" in my ability, opportunity and privelege to travel, work and live in foregin countries.

In fact, I have no real desire to ever work inside America again. What ever that means?

Respectfully,

John!

P.S. I found your blog on Estavisti