On the American Dream

I moved to Madison 10 years ago very much in search of the American Dream. My wife and I had given the Wyoming Valley (northeastern Pennsylvania) a few good years after graduation to see if we could achieve it there. It was clear I would have been a drunken mess had I stayed. I will not speak for the missus, but it was her job opportunity in NYC that brought us here. We were ready for the challenge.

But what was it we were after? We had a nice apartment overlooking the Susquehanna River. We had pretty steady (and potentially lucrative) jobs in an otherwise depleted economic area. Friends and good times were all around us.  

Clearly there was more. Should have known when we could not find an apartment under $1,000 a month we were in over our heads. The timing was all wrong. Our ages were all wrong. When a new colleague mentioned his grandmother was renting out her upstairs for $900 a month (and it had to be cash) we jumped at it.

And we have not left Madison since. Lucky for us we came in after the Midtown Direct explosion. Lucky for us we came in after everyone destroyed in the 90s and made killings on Wall Street and in real estate. Lucky for us one year in, 9/11 happened. Those writing jobs I was certain to get seemed to dry up.  

Soon I am driving limos morning and night while caring for my newborn daughter during the course of the day. My wife is forced to work 12-hour days to keep it all afloat. We keep dreaming.

House shopping in a softening market might be a good sign. Hooray, we have a $400,000 loan but a roof over our head. This is really happening. The house. The kid. Twenty miles away from the greatest city on Earth.

But what is it that we are doing here? Could we have not done all this and more 100 miles north? Can we do it in NYC renting?

No, you have to rethink it all EVERY day. The dream is very much intact. We like the town because it does have all we need. There is a blue collar element that created the neighborhoods. There is a community relationship I feel within the various sports teams my daughter plays on. The parents and coaches make every season a joy.  

The little house with a million problems has served us well. But, as we move forward, we look ahead. So what if the market continues to tank? This is our year. We work a little harder and try to save. Let's go get the big house. Why not shoot for a pool?  

Naturally, when you taste something so sweet, you go after something a bit sweeter.  

And each day you can live the dream. We live near the greatest city, right? Let's start using it! War Horse at Lincoln Center. Tori Amos at the Beacon. Films at the Angelica.  

It is all there, yours for the taking. After 10 years, the only thing that remains constant is what I knew all along. Boy, you are gonna have to work.

I think I can handle that. Now, be a whole lot easier if they were handing out $100K writing jobs. Right, gotta work for that. 

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