To answer this question I interviewed several people, several strangers I picked randomly off the street, and a few people that I know personally. In order to put a perspective on the information and avoid nebulous speculation, I formed two groups in which these people fit, sadly it seems that in reality people are very polarized in what they find as important about the AWOL. There are those who look at the AWOL as a bigger picture and those who personalized the AWOL ( Live with the illusion of the American Way of life).
One of the first people I interviewed was a 50 or 60 year old, white, doorman. He seemed quite enamored with the American way of life, saying that it was essentially the ability to do whatever one wants. However, I have never heard of someone who dreamt of being a doorman when they grew up. Unless this man was the one exception and he really did dream of becoming a doorman as a child, his characterization of the AWOL exhibits a lack of large-scale thought. He also seemed fixated on the practical aspects of the AWOL in comparison to the larger picture. He seemed far more invested in his own personal wellbeing than that of the country he so readily supported.
Another person that I interviewed, a middle aged, Hispanic, working class man, with paint-covered clothing, followed suit with the doorman. In his opinion the AWOL is “working hard and being happy with your kids.” A very simple answer indeed, one can assume that this man has children (obviously) so he is most likely talking about his way of life. He continued on by saying, “I’m just thankful I got a job,” and the only bad aspect of America is that “it’s too expensive.” While cost is indeed an issue, there are certainly far more evident problems with our country. He was more concerned with his own economic affairs than the greater picture. Wealth certainly does allow one the leisure to speculate larger issues. When one is struggling just to get by as this man made it seem he was, time is spent on work instead of fervently trying to understand why things are the way they are.
On the other side of this societal rift, there are those who seemed to administer more thought to the subject. When asked “What is the AWOL?” a young, white, male answered mockingly, “A house on one acre, with a trophy wife and two kids.” He almost perfectly characterized the dream of the Hispanic man that I interviewed. His answer is also removed, he isn’t talking about himself, and is instead accurately looking at the greater picture. He continued by saying that “We can’t do what we really want. Nobody cares about your hopes and your dreams, you have to submit to society to get anywhere and go against your dreams in the process.” Becoming a doorman is a perfect example of this, even though that man said that one can do whatever they want, he submitted to the will of society because the painful truth is that the freedom that so many identify with America can only be achieved by working. The Hispanic man that I interviewed was “happy” just have a job while society taunts him with expensive nick nacks. Does American society really look out for these people, or does it just sucker people in with various distractions? This young mans answer to this question is far more thought out, his outlook actually applies to other people, whereas the other two men’s thoughts on the AWOL were almost convoluted and weren’t applicable to the overwhelming majority.
Lastly, I interviewed my own mother, a 51 year old, white, middle class, woman who also spoke broadly about the AWOL. She said, “Some people think we are entitled to a certain standard of living even at the cost of others, meaning other nations, and other feel that we aren’t justified in maintaining this state of entitlement.” She talked about other nations outside of the U.S., beyond herself, because the U.S. is not separate from world affairs as many would like to think. The effects of our actions and our government’s actions do affect people, and looking at America in such a simple selfish way can adversely affect us. She also acknowledges the fault that separates these two groups, and not just her own American experience.
The fact is that America is bigger than just you and I. It is more important than being able to succeed and buy a new I pod. Our dreams are overlooked in a society characterized by its capitalistic opportunities for success. By thinking of your neighbors, your co-workers, different social classes, and different countries, we are destined for a more genuinely constructive collective wellbeing. Be it a factor of intelligence, ignorance, education, or limited experience, personal priority in contrast to the collective values is glaringly unbeneficial.
I couldnt figure out how to put the pictures up, but I do have them.
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