It’s all about us- the few, the proud, the American. Our values are different- family is no longer the centerpiece of life. We care about ourselves, and our image. Image is everything. Dress to impress. Image sells. Look your best. Work so hard that you don’t rest, then you can keep up with the best. Just tell me how great I am. Do it.
Many Americans sacrifice vacations, quiet time, and walks in the park for houses, cars, and branded luxury items. In many other countries, the exact opposite view is common. I once had a friend from Colombia whose family sold their only car to take a backpacking trip to Europe as a family. My American family and I thought this was insane-who would want to do such a thing? I would have loved it. My Colombian friends came back with stories to tell, and dreams of saving for another car. I had another foreign friend who told me a story about dressing and living quite modestly as a child, but traveled all over the world before reaching age 15. Now, she is grateful that she accepted the tradeoff. I had another American friend who was dirt poor growing up, but her family always took the time to go to parks, see dollar movies, and take afternoon walks together. She has now outgrown the ragged clothes and old house, but still has the memories to take with her forever. My family was the kind who would sacrifice everything to look rich- my dad worked long hours to pay for the big house on the hill, yet we never got to live. I was always jealous my friend who got to go to the park and walk places. I secretly wished that my family could play board games on the weekends, yet I never felt any gratification from living in a “better” house or knowing that my parents had 8 cars (which weren’t all that nice) just because they liked the reaction they got from telling people that they had 8 cars. My dad sacrificed his health and well being by sacrificing sleep, exercise, and being stressed out all the time because of his excessive debt. Unfortunately, this is the case in many American families. The pressure to look good to others is so overwhelming that experiences seem worthless compared to the glory of appearance. Nobody ever receives complements for being cultured, traveling, or being a good parent, yet anyone who has purchased a new car, the ‘it’ bag of the season, or worn designer jeans knows that complements pour when appearance is concerned. I am guilty as well- I buy new clothes each season, skim all the authoritative mags for what to wear, and long for a huge house with a shiny new car out front. I’ve recently became less obsessed with the last two, but I still can’t seem to shake my clothing obsession. Unlike houses and cars, everyone sees what you’re wearing. Your coworker might not complement you on a new couch, but she will definitely complement you if she sees your new shoes. The nation is addicted to complements, and there is no other fix to satisfy the craving.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
