I am
becoming increasingly disturbed by the difficulty I have matching my
external experience to my internal reality. I find that my instincts
about what is right, about how I should be living and what would make me
the most satisfied and happy, are to do something that is fundamentally
different than the dominant lifestyle of the place where I live. I am a
citizen of the United States of America. While my status as such allows
me many opportunities and protections, it is not without a great number
of disadvantages and dangers. As I become more aware, of both myself and
my culture, I become increasingly disturbed by what it means to be a
U.S. citizen. I spend a great deal of time quietly considering and
discussing the topic with others—what it means to live the American
Dream and what it means to be happy—and the contradictions
inherent in trying to be both simultaneously. This
is most confusing as I am representative of the
average American, being both Caucasian and middle-class, and of a
gender that represents 51% of the total population.
However, it is increasingly clear to me that the dominant culture
of the U.S. is detrimental to my ability to live a happy, peaceful,
fulfilling life. And this
isn’t only true for me, but maybe for you as well.
I feel compelled to identify and conquer this dissonance, and to
make my effort a public one.
© Salahub 2003 |