New Series Aims to Examine the Changing American Dream

What’s your dream?

Better yet, what’s your American Dream?

The most basic and earliest concept of the American Dream focuses on freedom and the possibility of prosperity and success.

Nowadays, it seems as if prosperity and success have been hard to come by as most people are just trying to survive in these tough economic times.

With this in mind, we're excited to kick-off a new series for our Patch Readers: "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream."

Every day, the national media is full of stories about how American families, businesses, and neighbors are adjusting to these trying economic times. There are so many changes happening so fast that it's dizzying: national debates about unemployment, foreclosures, debt, religion, government and private enterprise all touch on fundamental ways in which we see ourselves and our communities.

We don't think there's one American Dream, but a multitude of American Dreams, which a multitude of people are working toward.

Looking out across nearly almost 900 Patch sites, we see businesses holding their breath deciding whether to expand; college graduates returning home because they can't find jobs; and senior citizens bringing boarders into their homes to help pay their bills. We also see bold new volunteer efforts, inspiring stories of local businesses that succeed because they innovated, and locals who've taken these trying times as a signal to engage more—not less—in their government.

At the purely local level, we at Richfield Patch want to know where our community members fall along these fault lines.

Nationally, there’s a debate about the education system, which is at the center of our dreams of a better life for our children. Locally, we know . And the most important person to turn that situation around is not a national politician, but or possibly a .

Nationally, there’s a debate about which government building projects are “shovel ready.” Locally, we know the redevelopment of the community, including the creation of a downtown center where the vacant and sites stand, could be the key to the city’s future.

"Dispatches" will be built upon the compelling vignettes and snapshots we unearth across all of our Patch sites.

So again, we ask you, what’s your American Dream?

Tell us by e-mailing Local Editor Caitlin Burgess, at caitlin.burgess@patch.com.