Rich American Brat

By Alexandra

You can do whatever you like. American dream. If you like making donuts, you can open a donut shop and live happily ever after. Impractical? Extremely. But the American mentality will tell you that anything is attainable, and all you need is the willingness to work hard. I do not want to be the one to crush this dream, but in reality it is far fetched. But maybe that is what America is. A country of open doors. A million opportunities. Maybe that is why all of the other countries tend think America is so bratty. We have so much opportunity its ridiculous. Although we might feel lost and hopeless we never REALLY feel the impending fear that so many others who live in poverty do. A sense of security makes people lazy.

I recently decided to count all my blessing, as a way of thanking God and keeping myself from being selfish. I have since realized I am disgustingly rich. My roommate moved out so now I can use her closet, and now I have 3 closets full of clothes. I have two beds in my dorm room and two beds in my bedroom at home. I have 4 beds that I could sleep in anytime I felt like it. I have two places to live, a dorm and a house. I have the opportunity to use make up to make myself look "extra" good, whereas many people in other countries do not even have enough clothes. The Bible says God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask or think. I have that, much thanks to America and God. And what did I do all of highschool? Whined that people didn't treat me the way I wanted, whined that I couldn't buy everything I wanted, whined that I wasn't pretty enough, whined that my cellphone didn't hook up to the internet fast enough. The fact that I even spent time thinking about those things makes me richer than a significant percent of the world.

So what does it mean to be American? Or at least the average American teenager? To have much and expect more.

"And though I'm rich, I claim that I'm poor. Crying over Earthly things I know I can't afford, but He who died is greater than me. I should be thankful, praying on my knees." -All Consuming Fire by Jennifer Knapp