We were spoon fed a dream growing up in America that is akin to the things of grandiose fairy tales. The corporate ladder was there to be climbed, and if we sweat and bled enough, one day we would reach the top of it victorious. The way to get to the top and climb the highest mountain was to buckle down and study, avoid excessive idle time and make sure to pad our academic resumes with lots and lots of meaningful extracurricular activities. This surely would prove to colleges and universities that we were not only smart, but well rounded. I wanted to be important like most people my age growing up in the 1980s. Despite being bright I didn't do very well in high school. My high school formative years were forged at a school that focused on football more than mathematics or literature. The result was a variety of teachers who barely graduated from a state school where they studied gymnastics and minored in beer pong. These same ‘educators' were given the challenge at our high school of teaching us things like calculus and trigonometry instead of field hockey and dodge ball. I skated through my classes and some how ended up a high school graduate. Too afraid to fail the SAT test I opted for an open enrollment college to study film and theatre. My family was supportive as they always were with my creative pursuits. I did exceptionally well in all my courses in college and graduated with top honors and the hope that my creative pursuits were more than just a pipe dream. I watched many of my high school colleagues chase the American dream path by going to law school, medical school, and I am honestly proud of their accomplishments and achievements today. I myself considered college an intellectual playing ground that expanded my consciousness and awareness as well as my appreciation for my fellow human being regardless of race, creed or sex. I used my college education to strengthen my communication and presentation skills. I became a more eloquent and persuasive person in both professional and personal circumstances. But I wonder now after looking back at all the fun I had if it was fiscally really worth it. How much does the American dream cost us? Regardless of whether we take the straight path of a law or medical career or something more ambitious like film and acting work? Regardless of your chosen profession in today's economy, jobs are scarce. The ones that are available are paying nearly half of what they paid ten years ago, and there are far more candidates to compete with now than their once were. Add on top of this the fact that most people around the age of 18 or 19 take out an absurd amount of student loans from the government and private lenders. This student loan debt hangs over most of our current working classes heads like grim death. Not only do we need to scrape and survive in a sort of bizarre lord of the flies like professional climate, we also have to worry about paying off debts well beyond our current means. The best thing we can do is wake up from this American dream and splash some ice cold water onto our faces. We need to realize that much of what we were promised is not real. We make our own destiny in this country and that is why I love it. But what I don't love is the promise we were given that if you work hard, study hard and don't play too hard, then all your dreams will come true. That is not true always. They informed us it was and that all we needed to do was just sign our names on the student loan application and we'll be set for life. The thing we need to teach our children is that nothing is a given. The American dream was a nice idea, but we must make our own fate to create a better American reality. College is not for everyone. I say this not with the implication that some people are book smart while others just street smart. I say this because regardless of your academic prowess you can learn more by graduating high school and committing to a full time entry-level job than all the expensive college coursework in the world can teach you. You also can save money rather than collect debt by immediately entering into the work force. If you love film and acting then you can audition for student films and go to casting calls. You can also learn a variety of trades for free; some will even pay for you for studying them. Unless you have some sort of amazing free ride scholarship to a four year college, most college pursuits are fun and enriching but not worth the debt. What about debt forgiveness then? Would this be the appropriate action for our government to take? It would indeed be the fairest thing to do for students of all walks of life and professions that are now struggling to eat and feed their families. It is essential that we systematically forgive student loan debt. The paradigm must shift and we must awaken from this misty eyed slumber. Student loan debt forgiveness would give Americans a great sign of relief and a fresh perspective on life. It might even renew trust in the government for some. I live with zero regrets. Life is the best teacher you can ever ask for. And in the end we are all responsible for creatively pursuing the new American reality. BM
