Have you met George and Lennie? You may have met them when you were in 9th grade--I didn't have the pleasure my first time as a freshman, but since I now live in a perpetual state of 9th-gradedness we run into each other on a fairly regular basis. Every October, to be precise.
As I get older, the concept of the American Dream hits me harder. The idea that life can be better, richer, more fullfilling just over the horizon often keeps me pedaling on what sometimes seems to me to be a stationary bike. I love my ___________ (fill in the blank with job, husband, son, dog, 2-car garage), but it seems that every new adventure meant to energize only further fuels my need for sleep. Thank God for Tivo; I can now watch my favorite shows from 7-8:30 instead of from 8-11. Is the Dream real or simply a figment of our over-active American imaginations?
It is George and Lennie who make me realize that the American Dream is real, somehow. That regardless of the outcome, hope for a better tomorrow actually makes us better today. Nobody wants to be like Curly or his defeated wife, who have given up and accepted that life is hard and always will be. It's George and Lennie that we look to for reassurance that it is OK to want more in spite of who or where we are.
You should read Of Mice and Men again (or for the first time). It is especially impactful in light of the current dark cloud hovering over our nation. It is only 107 pages long, so it won't cut into your shopping time too much. And it may change your life.
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