After interviewing people and looking more in the history of certain buildings in and around my area I was able to draw some conclusions. My first conclusion is that not everyone is seeking wealth. When we are given examples of people seeking the American Dream the first thing that is brought up is that everyone is trying to get rich. The people that I interviewed all had a great work ethic and all seemed to have the dream of working and earning what they get. Everyone wants to live as comfortably as they can, but the people I interviewed are more down to earth intelligent people that know they are not going to win the lottery and know they must work to achieve what they want. When I reflect on the dilapidated theatre, the railroad, the old furniture building, I believe they are the remnants of once enthusiastic dreams. I imagine couples flocking two by two into the theatre but then advances in technology caused them to go to a better theatre leaving that one a lost American Dream for the owner. I imagine families in the furniture store looking at all kinds of great pieces and then slowly they take their business else where because they can get in cheaper somewhere else. I imagine a train conductor working for years and then being told that the company no longer needs him because they are closing because trucks are now shipping faster than what they can compete with. The dreams of the owners of the these three examples probably left and the other competitive business owners dreams were coming true. Dreams change with time and are harder to obtain with each passing year as the one percent get wealthier and the top companies grow and grow and grow till they will eventually own the lives of a large percentage of us. I know it sounds like a crazy thing to say, but it could be a possibility. The dream will go on for a long time to give each American an imaginary thing to believe in and have hope in.
