3. WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LIFE? RECONSIDERED.

though many americans could use more life, we're nowhere near death. in fact, a significant portion of us are now more vital than ever! this portion, however, has entered a subculture in which individuals continually change and create themselves. where'd these people come from? from here, from the american land of circular dissatisfaction. how'd they get there, to that inner realm of greater vitality? oh, they got rid of what they didn't need.

they. got. rid. of. excess. in many ways, culture change for americans is this basic. we already have what we need: freedom, opportunity, support. because we have too much of what we don't need, however, we often forget these fundamental resources. we become more focused on purchases than progress; more attached to possessions than people; more intent on the returns of routine than the idea of innovation. ironically enough, however, our nation was founded as an innovation, a new world that offered an escape from the past and a better beginning for all. recently, this beginning has become more of an ending; as don anderson points out, "in the growth and prosperity that followed the founding of our country many of us have allowed ourselves to become complacent, taking our privileges and responsibilities for granted" (anderson). we have stopped seeing the original american vision -- a vision of a continually changing, bettering way of life.

this vision, however, is still there -- it's just well-hidden. sociologist paul ray and psychologist sherry anderson thus advise us to:

"imagine a country the size of france suddenly sprouting in the middle of the united states. it is immensely rich in culture... it has its own heroes and its own vision for the future... now imagine something different. there is a new country, just as big and just as rich in culture, but no one sees it. it takes shape silently and almost invisibly, as if flown in under radar in the dark of the night. but it's not from somewhere else. this new country is decidedly american" (3).

indeed, this new country is the subculture ray and anderson have recognized as "cultural creatives." since the 1960s, 26 percent of the american adults – 50 million people – have made a comprehensive shift in their worldview, values, and way of life (4). now such millions are quietly yet assuredly leading several kinds of cultural change, thus improving both their own lives and larger society. they're creating such change by, quite basically, leading ordinary lives in extraordinary ways. because they care about life they pay attention to it; and because they pay attention to it they question it over and over. ray and anderson call this "reframing," meaning "you start to question the unspoken assumptions of the social codes all around you. it's not okay to let big business destroy the environment. it's not okay to have nuclear power. it's not okay to let the foreign policy elite send our young people off to wars without involving the citizens. it's not okay to put down, or harm, people who are different than you are. and so on." while this reframing begins as an individual matter, cultural creatives have unknowingly united in driving larger demands for ecological sustainability, interpersonal authenticity, social equality, accurate media, and holistic well-being (5).

though cultural creatives share certain cares, it's important to note that this group is much more heterogeneous than homogeneous. they do not belong to a uniform generation, class, political party, or demographic of any sort. instead, they are as mixed as all america -- and, at least in one sense, just as mundane. they do the everyday work of modern culture; they are accountants and social workers, waitresses and computer programmers, etc. still, this subculture can be characterized by a profound, proactive openness to change -- a commitment to thinking outside the box. such thinking, according to ray and anderson, drives a synthesis of a new, better way of life; "as cultural creatives step away from the mainstream assumptions and values of modern culture, they are piecing together a life they passionately care about... in the midst of a society with compartmentalized values, they are doing what they can do to weave a coherent and integrated life. they don’t have all the answers. picking and choosing what matters most to them, each one is trying to create a new synthesis of value and meaning" (20).

this synthesis, quite fortunately, is something most young americans have yet to complete. according to ray and anderson, "there are slightly fewer cultural creatives age 18 to 24 simply because young adults still seem to be summing up what their values are" (22). one already apparent value of today's generation, however, is indeed openness. compared to baby boomers in 1973, we are twice as likely to agree with the statement, “there is no single right way to live” (twenge 19). such a view, according to journalist david brooks, is catalyzing much experimentation; in his words, "the students in america's colleges are bright, lively, funny and generous. their behavior is in many ways exemplary, especially compared to past generations... they are remarkably eager to try new things, to thrust themselves into unlikely situations, to travel the world in search of new activities" (173). young americans are already, in fact, searching for a new way of life -- our own way of life -- and we're confident that we'll find it. in a recent survey, a stunning 98% of college freshmen agreed with the statement, “i am sure that one day i will get to where i want to be in life” (twenge 78). still, however, brooks cautiously points out that knowing where one wants to be and how to get there are two different issues. continuing his description of today's generation, he skeptically notes,

"they have a passion for personal growth that is amazing... if only they had some clear idea of how that is achieved" (174). thus while young people surely seem to enjoy the ideas of innovation, it remains less certain whether they will be able to actualize such ideas. we're looking for change but will we be able to fully find it -- to fully live it? we, like the cultural creatives, must discover the gateway from mainstream culture to subculture; from consumption to creation; from life to more life. the good news is it's around here somewhere.