Is the American Dream dead or alive? It’s a question that Americans never expected to be wrestling with in the twenty-first century. After all, this was supposed to be the century when our dreams of living in a futuristic society would become a reality. As the tide slowly turned, we entered the Age of Vampires, causing the light to go out in the Shining City on the Hill.

When our science fiction writers imagined us living in a dystopian world, they expected the collapse of society would result from some type of natural disaster, pandemic disease, advanced robots supplanting humans, an alien invasion, overpopulation, food shortages, or repression by a totalitarian government. Never in their wildest imaginings did they foresee it would be a financial disaster brought about by the “selling out” of America that would cripple the nation, leaving it bankrupt and unable to fulfill the promise of the 21st century.

Throughout history, stories abound about vampires feeding on the lifeblood of humans as depicted in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. They often seek out faithful retainers, who will protect them and do their bidding. In literature, these vampires have become symbolic of the aristocrats and oligarchs living off the labor of their tenant farmers and laborers. It is how they sustain themselves. They continually drain the life out of the people, until they rise up in protest and drive them out of town. Oftentimes, it takes a great hero to lead the way and drive a stake right into the heart of these parasites. Because these vampires are immortal, they disappear and reappear at different periods of time.

From time to time, these vampires have been known to dwell among us. Revolutions have been fought and laws instituted to protect citizens from their predatory nature, but to no avail. As explained in my book, How to Create the Good Life from Reel Life, one reason why these vampires are able to thrive is because they seek out retainers who hold positions of authority. Oftentimes, these retainers place the interest of the vampires above their constituents that elected them to office. This usually results in the citizenry losing control of their government.

In Interview with the Vampire, Louis is a young plantation owner in the South, who is bitten by the vampire, Lestat. They become immortal companions. Lestat feeds off the plantation slaves belonging to Louis, until they rise up and drive the two monsters out of town. At first, Louis still retains a sense of morality and chooses to feed on animals, rather than on humans. However, Lestat convinces him that he is going against his vampire nature, which forces Louis to come to terms with his true being.

Similarly, we have witnessed the rise of a new breed of vampires, who have colluded with our elected officials to flatten the world to the point where Americans have to compete for jobs with the other 99% of the world. In this way, corporations no longer have to pay a living wage to workers. This imbalance forces the U.S. government to step in and supplement benefits to prevent these workers from slipping below the poverty line. Not surprisingly, their greed has opened the door to the exploitation of American workers by the other 1% of the world.

What is even more insidious is that by outsourcing jobs and moving their companies offshore, these corporate elites no longer feel an obligation to pay their fair share of taxes. They pursue their own self-interest to the detriment of the nation, while still enjoying the privileges and protections offered by the U.S. government abroad. They operate without allegiance to any one nation, while using America as a platform from which to exert their power and influence around the world.

In Wall Street, Bud Fox is a young, ambitious Wall Street stockbroker, who is taken under the wings of his hero, the powerful and ruthless stock speculator, Gordon Gekko, who lives by the motto “greed is good.” One day, Bud shares some insider information about his father’s company that favors Gekko in a buyout deal. When he learns that Gekko plans to raid the employees’ retirement fund and liquidate the company, Bud feels betrayed and turns him over to the authorities, even though it means a prison sentence for himself. Bud returns to the values he learned from his working class family, after discovering who the real “takers” are in society.

Ironically, it was the idealistic young people of America, who were the first to recognize and denounce these shapeshifters. They organized the Occupy Wall Street movement to raise awareness about the growing inequality, shrinking opportunity, and rising Social Darwinism in American society. They could foresee the imminent threat to the nation, with so much wealth being concentrated in just a few hands. As a matter of fact, one need only check the Forbes list of the richest people in the world to realize that it is filled with the names of multibillionaires, with no room left anymore for the multimillionaires.

In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens writes about the plight of the French peasants and the atrocities committed against them by the aristocracy during the eighteenth century. It is not until they find the courage to unite and fight their oppressors in the French Revolution that the tide finally turns in their favor. Needless to say, the French Revolution is one of many battles that the oppressed and exploited have had to fight throughout history, to gain their freedom and end the reign of vampires.

The tragedy of our times is that America thrives on dreams, but once people feel hopeless about the future and stop dreaming, or only the 1% can afford to turn their dreams into a reality, then the country is doomed. In fact, we have already gotten a glimpse of the dystopian world these elites have in store for us. While they enjoy record profits, workers’ wages have stagnated. While they pay less in taxes, the middle class pays more. While they harvest the assets of companies for profit, workers end up losing their livelihood. While five billion cell phones are in use around the world, not a single one is made in America.

In the end, we have to decide what will be the new normal in society. If the nation’s creed is life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, then why are so few people experiencing it? We cannot move forward as a nation, until balance is returned to the system. By restoring the American Dream, we will be returning light to the Shining City on the Hill. By rising up in unison to defeat the vampires, we will be acting as real life heroes and ensuring that good triumphs over evil.

The twenty-first century seems to be the magical point in time chosen by our creative thinkers, dreamers and visionaries when our dreams of a futuristic world will become a reality. If the future is now, then what kind of life do we have to look forward to? How will we cope with living in an alternate reality? What new meanings will we attach to our new existence?

In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain to find a trade route to Asia, little knowing that he would discover a New World. Five hundred years later, we have evolved from believing the world is flat to sending astronauts to the moon. By daring to embark on a journey into the unknown, Columbus revealed a boundless universe that has changed the trajectory of the world.

 
The Age of Discovery opened a whole new world of exploration and conquest. Even though it unlocked the floodgates to unimaginable wealth and power for some nations, it was responsible for heaping untold pain and suffering upon many more. On the other hand, it expanded our world of storytelling by offering new experiences that helped us to explore and better understand what it means to be human.

If you have read my book, How to Create the Good Life from Reel Life, then you know that when the hero embarks on an outer journey, it necessarily entails his traveling on an inner journey. The farther the hero travels outward, the deeper he travels inward. Life requires that we participate in the eternal drama. This is how we evolve and grow.

 
Throughout the ages, myths, fairytales and folklore were our attempts to explain life’s mysteries and ground us in the reality of our world. How else could we cope with the cycles of birth and death – the seeming temporality of life? These stories helped to insert meaning into our mundane lives. The more we better understood ourselves, the greater control we gained over our environment.

Today, we continue to wrestle with the same existential questions as our ancestors: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? It is through our storytelling that we hope to explore the many truths about ourselves. In the movie, Inception, the hero’s task is to manipulate the mind of a sleeping subject and implant an idea into his mind that will be acted upon in the real world when he awakens. This story raises some interesting questions about how ideas are conceived in the mind, while exploring the power of suggestion and the realm of the unconscious, which remains largely untapped.

 
When Columbus set sail on August 3, 1492, land was not sighted for another two months. Today, we have developed air travel that easily bridges time and space, so that a similar trip would take only a few hours. We have invented technologies that allow us to communicate instantly with anyone around the globe. The creation of the Internet has allowed us to enter the Digital Age. Just like Columbus before us, we are heading into uncharted territory and only time will reveal what new adventures and stories await us in Cyberspace.

For starters, Social Media is redefining how we form “community” and interact with each other. It used to be built on nationality, ethnicity, culture, religion, class, and race, but the Internet is erasing these artificial barriers. We are forming communities based on common interests. In the movie, The Social Network, the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, is depicted as a friendless young man, who is willing to risk everything in his single-minded pursuit to create a virtual platform that will support a global community. His sacrifice seems to have paid off, since Facebook reportedly has surpassed a billion users from around the world.

Not surprisingly, the Internet is changing how we communicate, work, play, learn, shop, dine, travel, date, seek jobs, find information, read books, consume news, use money, entertain ourselves, practice medicine, fight wars, commit and solve crimes. It is affecting the way companies market and sell their products and services. The Internet has become a veritable wellspring of free advice from anonymous strangers, which is proving quite valuable when a second opinion is needed. We have developed a sudden yen for sharing and staying connected. It’s no wonder we are witnessing the rise of crowdsourcing and crowdfunding online.

 
In the dystopian tale, Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, human reproduction is obsolete and children are born and raised in Hatcheries and Conditioning Centers. The society is divided into five castes, the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon. The Alphas and Betas are bred to be the natural thinkers and leaders in society. They are expected to make decisions and dictate policy. The lower castes are physically and intellectually inferior. The drug soma is dispensed to keep the population docile and happy. This helps to create a peaceful and stable society, where everyone accepts their place within the hierarchy. The trouble begins when a citizen defies the system and is confronted by the absolute power of the state.

While the Internet holds great promise, at the same time it conceals a dark side that threatens to turn our society into a Brave New World. It has disrupted how we do business, which has led to millions of people being displaced from the workforce. While it has made many areas of our lives easier, we have not yet figured out how to deal with its negative effects. One can only wonder about the long-term impact on society with millions of people unemployed or underemployed, with no relief in sight. What happens when the state is unwilling or unable to lend a helping hand? On the other hand, if technology is here to stay, then it behooves us to figure out how to make it serve our needs.

Notwithstanding, the Internet has led to the loss of our privacy and control over many areas of our lives. We can be tracked and followed, whether we wish it, or not. This makes it much easier for Big Brother to watch us. Neither can we escape the marketers and advertisers, who make their living from selling to us. Our digital identities offer little protection. It’s just a matter of time before we are treated as mere ciphers in a computer database that can be manipulated, regulated, and controlled by those in authority. On the other hand, it will be interesting to discover what other aspects of our nature will be activated, once these unknown forces of the Digital Age are unleashed.

As we turn the chapter on 2012, the name Sandy will forever live in infamy. Sadly, 2012, was not just the name of a science fiction movie, but the year when America came to know Sandy, intimately. Our introduction to Sandy was brief, but deadly. If you have read my book, How to Create the Good Life from Reel Life, then you know that science fiction writers use the genre to gaze into the future and sound the alarm when they see society being placed in danger. It’s no wonder that the movie, 2012, proved eerily prescient, with its prediction of a natural disaster resulting from global warming.

On October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy made landfall and swept across the East Coast, leaving behind a path of death and destruction. Not to be outdone, a homicidal maniac targeted Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, several weeks later. By the time the winds calmed and the waters receded, Sandy left behind an estimated $62 billion in damages and a death toll of at least 125 people. After the gunsmoke cleared at Sandy Hook Elementary School, 27 people were shot dead, including 20 schoolchildren. Thus, a lone gunman with three weapons, wreaked more havoc in a few minutes, what it took Superstorm Sandy days to accomplish.

How does one recover from such unthinkable loss and devastation? Memories and possessions washed away at sea. Young lives snuffed out like candles in the wind. The tragedy of the situation is that we expect home and school to be a sanctuary. This way we can lock out the monsters. Anytime we feel like a good scare, we watch horror movies from the safety of a movie theater. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee of that privilege, anymore. While we love being frightened out of our wits by the supernatural world, as depicted in the film, The Woman in Black, we discover that the real danger lies in the natural world.

When a storm penetrates and invades the walls of a home, it is like a monster being on the loose. Just as a monster targets and preys upon the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of its victims, Superstorm Sandy was no less discriminating. Neither was the gunman, who entered Sandy Hook Elementary School and committed the most monstrous act on that fateful day. Those sweet, innocent babies were forced to stare into the eyes of this crazed monster, just before they closed their own.

How could they have known that their society fights vociferously to protect the lives of the unborn and a killer’s right to possess his weapons than it does to shield them from such deadly menace? How could they have known that the gun industry would receive a surge in sales even before they were laid to rest? How could the Founding Fathers have known that their simple flintlock muskets and gunpowder would morph into today’s sophisticated killing machines, with exotic names like, Sig Sauer, Glock, and Bushmaster?

From the beginning of time, our storytelling has depicted drowning as being one of our greatest fears. In the Christian tradition, the symbolic act of drowning is performed during baptism to signify rebirth and renewal. In movies, a storm may portend impending disaster, which usually reveals the true character of those affected by it. When a storm turns out to be a destructive force, it is seen as offering the opportunity for a fresh beginning. Thus, the rain can also be viewed as a cleansing and restorative agent.

In Ordinary People, the Jarrett family is torn apart after the accidental drowning of the favorite older son and attempted suicide by the younger son. The mother withdraws emotionally from the world, as a way to cope with her grief. The younger son is left bereft, suffering from survivor’s guilt. His father watches helplessly as the family disintegrates around him. As the family members drown in their own sorrow, one is hard-pressed to decide whether they will survive their ordeal.

In the Rabbit Hole, Becca Corbett is coping with the loss of her four-year old son, after he is struck and killed by a passing car in front of the home. She finds no solace for her grief, even after she joins a self-help group. She rejects a member’s blind faith in an omniscient God, who has shown no mercy. She rages at the absurdity and injustice of it all. Against her will, Becca is being forced to confront the nature of suffering and what it means to be human. Being alive requires that we participate in the eternal drama. For Becca, her way to healing is through the path of forgiveness.

What does losing a loved one feel like? It is a pain beyond reason. It feels like you’re plunging deep beneath the ocean into your own watery grave. Even though you wish for sweet oblivion, your senses are heightened and you become a fish able to survive underwater. Separation and loss are part of being human. It is the price we must pay for experiencing life, which seeks full expression of its own nature. So, it waits with bated breath for you to emerge from the abyss. You have been called to bear witness. You are the sacrificial lamb. What secret part of its nature will you behold? What meaning will you assign to the experience? Meanwhile, Father Time waits patiently in the wings to sweep you into his arms and heal your wounds, while he dims your memories.

When tragedy strikes, we tend to draw together and encircle those in need of our love and support. It helps to quiet the mind and soothe the soul of those afflicted. What Sandy has taught us is that the rain falls on the just and unjust alike. So, we’re all in this together. Are we going to stand by impotently, while our towns become like Baghdad, with its random acts of violence? Even though we could not protect our young from a deranged killer, surely we can implement sensible measures to prevent it from happening, again. Our main concern should be the protection of innocent citizens, not lining the pockets of the merchants of death.

Our storytelling abounds with tales of human beings having to cope with death and disaster. Like us, they struggled to make sense of their pain and suffering. That is why they created rites and rituals, throughout the ages. In the movie 300, the Spartans find meaning in their warrior code of honor, duty, glory. They see life as a contest of wills. This allows them to live fearlessly. Surrender and retreat are not part of their vocabulary. They draw a line in the sand and stand their ground. Can we do any less?

The Spartans have come and gone, but, here you are for one brief glimmering moment in time and space. Who dare fathom your travails? Who shall grant you rest? The agony in your heart builds to a mighty roar, until it reverberates across the heavens. Your soul fragments. Yet, you remain like an immovable rock, as the waters rush over you. Any sign of weakness and the tide sweeps you out to sea. Time stands still. You have an encounter with the Self. You pierce the veil, catching a glimpse of your secret nature. There’s no turning back. You are drawn into the the infinite I AM mystery. Your life will never be the same.

What constitutes the good life? It’s one of the questions that I wrestled with as I wrote my book, How to Create the Good Life from Reel Life. When I first ventured into the field of screenwriting, I had this grandiose notion of impacting the world, and fame and fortune were sure to follow. Several screenplays later, I learned that it’s the journey, not the destination that counts.  Life is a journey of self-discovery.  By participating in the creative process as a writer, I was able to develop a philosophy of life that has proven to be  more precious than silver or gold.

The Bucket List

In The Bucket List, Carter Chambers is a working-class African-American mechanic, who shares a hospital room with billionaire businessman, Edward Cole, after they are both diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. It’s unlikely these two men’s paths ever would have crossed, except for their illness.  As their friendship gradually develops, Edward learns that Carter has written a “bucket list” consisting of things he would like to do before he dies. It’s his vision of the good life. After learning he has less than a year to live, Carter tosses the list away.

Edward becomes intrigued by the concept and retrieves the discarded list.  He adds his own wishes to the bucket list and offers to finance the venture, if Carter agrees to join him. As they travel around the world, the bond of friendship deepens between them.  They soon realize that their differences are mainly skin-deep. Carter reveals that his love for his wife has diminished over the years, while Edward shares the pain of his estrangement from his daughter.  As they begin to realize what is most important in life, they find the love and happiness they are seeking.

The Bucket List reveals that it is never too late to chart a new course for our lives. A “bucket list” consists of the goals, dreams and desires that we wish to achieve, fulfill, or experience before we die. By creating a list, it gives our lives more clarity of purpose so that we can maximize each moment. A bucket list helps us to gauge how far that we have come and how much farther we still have to go. It adds new meaning to our lives. If you don’t have a bucket list, this may be a good time to start one.

A Little Princess

Once again, the reel world turns out to be no less predictable than the real world, since characters never know whether Fortune will smile or frown on them. In the film, A Little Princess, Sara Crewe’s father is a wealthy businessman, so she is accustomed to living the good life. Before departing on an extended trip to India, he enrolls Sara in an expensive boarding school, where she is treated like little a princess. When the headmistress, Miss Minchin, learns that Sara’s father has died and left her penniless, she confiscates her possessions and forces her to work as a maid.

Sara suffers numerous indignities as a result of her change in status.  She has to live in a dank and dark attic, while having to cleanup after her former classmates.  Despite suffering daily abuses, Sara chooses not to become embittered by her experience.  Instead, she cheerfully adapts to her changed circumstances and continues to extend kindness to those less fortunate than herself.  Sara’s true character is revealed during her adversity and that is why we root for her to succeed in her quest.

A Little Princess

What our movies reveal is that reel life heroes bravely rise to the challenges set before them.  Many of these characters are ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances. It’s no wonder we easily identify with them. They are telling our stories. It’s the reason why we feel emotionally connected to them.  When they love, we love. When they win, we win. When they hurt, we hurt. That’s the magic of movies!

Similarly, our success in the real world is determined by how well we respond to the obstacles placed in our path. By remaining steadfast in the face of adversity, we discover different aspects of ourselves. It’s how we develop and grow. By following our evolutionary impulse that drives us to pursue our goals, we discover that the good life is not just a way of being, but a state of mind.

How do you define the good life? Do you have a bucket list? What are some items on your bucket list?