Sweet Dreams, Darling

After tromping through all the muck of the American Dream, it is just possible to find the lotuses that grow there. There are gentler, happier stories that end with love and respect for the people who share them. Willa Cather is one such person. Her stories of life on the prairie remind me of listening to Garrison Keillor talk about his "hometown" of Lake Wobegon. The people in these stories are not so distorted or extraordinary. That is what makes them so wonderful.

People like the Rosickys do not achieve glorious wealth or fame. They do not win awards. They aren't even necessarily terribly smart. What they do seem to have are meaningful lives. They live well. I read a story about them and it calms my heart, and I want to hug them. I end up hugging the book instead. So what do I see that they have so readily applied? "It was as if Rosicky had a special gift for loving people, something that was like an ear for music or an eye for colour" (1141). He would have gotten along swimmingly with Zora; they could have gone to listen to jazz together, or perhaps they could have chased a rainbow winged wonder. They both have their priorities straight- love comes first. Not a romantic or dazzling love, but a steady, plodding love for all humanity.

The American Dream of wealth, fame, fortune, and family? These are certainly helpful, but the real American Dream should be love. And we have a long ways to go.