My dad and the American Dream

There is a mysterious cycle in human events: To some generations, much is given; of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.

If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.

My father, Mack Mulkey, was a member of the “greatest generation.” He and his contemporaries met the challenges of the Great Depression, the rise and fall of the fascist powers, the threat of nuclear war, the Civil Rights movement, the assassination of national leaders, the rise of sexual equality, the Vietnam War, and the resignation of a president in disgrace.

Belief in the American Dream—the opportunity to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and create a better life for you and your family—ran deep in this generation. And given my dad’s roots, he had plenty of room for upward mobility. But Mack had a powerful vision of the life he wanted to create and the way he wanted to live it. And he set about early on to bring what he’d envisioned into being. (more…)

Saturday, June 22nd, 2002