What is Your American Dream?

What is the American Dream?

If you work hard and play by the rules, you should have as good a chance as anyone to create a better life for yourself and your family. Does that sound right?

There might not be just one, but a multitude of American Dreams a multitude of people are working toward. Looking out across nearly almost 900 Patch sites, we see...

• Businesses holding their breath deciding whether to expand;
• College graduates returning home because they can't find jobs;
• Senior citizens bringing boarders into their homes to help pay their bills; 
• Bold new volunteer efforts; 
• Inspiring stories of local businesses that innovate and succeed;
• Locals who've taken these trying times as a signal to engage more, not less, in their government.

Our new series, "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream,” will build on the compelling snapshots we find across all of our Patch sites.

And, of course, we want your help. Tell us what Fairfax City issues and what stories go to the heart of your American Dream.