Life Repeats Itself

Somewhere in college I heard a description of the generations of the American Dream.

Generation 1: The Immigrants. Through hard work they ensure that their children receive the best possible education.
Generation 2: The Educated. This generation reaps the benefits of the sacrifices their parents made and roll in the dough.
Generation 3: The Coddled. This generation uses the wealth of their parents on whatever it is they please. Often choose careers that have little to do with wealth.

It's a wonderful theory. It might have found its application in the real world somewhere. But it doesn't apply to my family.

My great-grandfather, I recently learned, had a dream: to go to California. He never made it. He got stopped in Windsor, worked in a car plant for a few months, was laid off, and spent the rest of his life struggling to get a job.

My grandfather was unable to get an education due to some of his father's decisions. He spent the rest of his life working hard so that his children would not face the same fate. When he was laid off he would find work, anywhere. And he struggled through life's toils.

My father completed high school, unlike his ancestors. After getting a good factory job, he decided he needed to see the world, so he enlisted in the navy. Sometime later he got into a terrible car accident that severely curtailed his work options in the future. He has so far spent the remainder of his life chasing whatever work he could find. He struggled mightily through life's toils, often working 80 hours a week, hoping that, unlike his father and grandfather before him, his children would make it.

I got a college education. Well, part of one--after changing my program three years in, I ran out of money. I owe $85,000 in tuition debt. Without a degree, I was also without certification and without the ability to get a job in my field. I have been unemployed nine months.

There's a few ways you could take this. First off, everyone struggles. Perhaps to different degrees, or in different areas, but everyone struggles. Life is a struggle, and everyone has their own unique challenges to face.

Second, is the American Dream real? Perhaps that answer is yes to the 0.1% who win at life. For the rest of us, isn't it that same slog our parents and grandparents went through? You never do end up paying off your debts.

Of course, if life challenges everyone, then we can all be judged fairly, so there is that to consider.

But back to the point: life repeats itself. Knowing this, how does one respond? Find a way to break the circle? Or enjoy the ride?