Take a breath and enjoy the dream

When I grow up I will have the happy family with the big house and be able to travel all the time.  That was the mantra of a little girl who was in love with the Disney fairy tale and summer vacations. 

Fast forward a few years and well- the prince never showed even though I've kissed way too many toads. I take that back...he showed but he was married or engaged and he already had his own house and was working on the family thing with someone else.  Not to worry his creepy stable boy  tried to hollar at your girl but when she found out he was living with his parents she politely said no thank-you. 


As for the happy family...what would  a writer do with a happy family?  Instead we prefer a little bit of crazy gives us inspiration for that next book.  I accept the crazy and have added to it three phyco dogs. 

The American dream, is it the same for everyone? 

I must admit in my American dream I never was working two jobs and struggling to make ends meet.  In a survey of 2,200 American families 84% described themselves as middle class.  I would agree with them I am in the middle...barely.  The Parade survey defines the middle class to be those families earning between $30-$99,000.  Of those surveyed 66% say they tend to live pay check to pay check.  And 83% agree they don't have much left once all the bills are paid.  It is good not to be alone.  What is amazing to me is that in this same fiscally pitiful group 80% still believe that the great American dream is a possibility. Maybe it is in our American blood not to give up the hope it could happen.

This entire blog post was inspired when I read Remembering to dream, by Lindsay Shugerman.  She recently posted a picture of a 2 million dollar house to her facebook wall.   It spoke to me.  Breaks from writing my next Great American novel have been filled by me searching for a mountain home in Colorado. Not to mention the the eclectic antique furniture and paintings to fill it.  Part of it could be because it is a million degrees outside and we are all eager for some relief.  It is not that I feel I need more because I am more.  I am fully aware of how important it is to be happy with what you have.  I understand that there are so many around the world who will never have all that I take for granted on a daily basis.  But it is just the feeling that maybe I could have "It."  That this daily grind, the worries I carry they could all go away and be replaced with only joy and relief.  I think we all want a little of that.