For Better or For Worse
This book can be read by anyone curious about America and the American Dream.
Yet it speaks most directly to those who view America as home. That distinction is important. The American Dream is not merely a collection of opportunities to be consumed. It is a vision of life to be built. It becomes meaningful when we see ourselves as participants in the future of the place we call home, rather than observers passing through it.
The phrase “for better or for worse” is associated with marriage, and I believe that it is an appropriate comparison because it is about commitment. Every relationship experiences periods of confidence and uncertainty. Those who remain committed to the original promise experience it differently than those who view it as a transaction.
Being committed in this sense means we believe our choices matter. We focus our attention on what we can build and improve.
This commitment transcends race, ethnicity, religion, wealth, education, and national origin. It includes those born into privilege and those born into poverty, those raised in stability and those who overcame hardship, families who arrived centuries ago and families who arrived last year.
What unites us is not where we started. It is the shared motivation and experience of building a fuller life here together.
The American Dream is ultimately an invitation. It asks us to participate in the ongoing work of building a better, richer, and fuller life for ourselves, our families, and the communities we call home.
Do we need to define our American Dream, or do we need to simply live it in a way that leads to its fulfillment?
This book is an attempt to explore that deeply American invitation, and to live the dream more consciously, however each of us chooses to define it.
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