by Travis Mateer
What’s the American Dream? I like to check in with Wikipedia when it comes to these kinds of questions. Here is what I found:
The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals (democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, as well as an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.
I find this definition to be totally adorable. Also, totally not applicable to reality.
Today the Missoulian is reporting on someone else’s dream, and it’s one I’ve written about before. Here is the most recent news on A TROPICAL HOUSE FOR BUTTERFLIES! From the link:
Imagine escaping a dreary Missoula winter day and stepping into a steamy tropical paradise where creatures from foreign lands flutter about your face.
That’s the vision that Jen and Glenn Marangelo, the founders of the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium, have for a new project slated to be built at the Missoula County Fairgrounds.
If Jen and Glenn have a vision of a steamy tropical paradise for bugs in Missoula, Montana, that’s just fine. They should work hard, spend ONLY their money, and build that tropical paradise for bugs.
But that’s not how dreams come to fruition in Missoula. No, the engine for realizing dreams almost ALWAYS includes asking other people for money. This project is no different:
On Saturday, the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium, along with the Healthy Acres Healthy Communities Foundation, announced a $5 million capital campaign to bring the state’s first tropical butterfly house and education garden to the finish line.
I am SO EXCITED that people like Jen and Glenn and their Engen-enabled Fairgrounds crony, Emily Bentley, are going FULL STEAM with this project. I think it represents the STRENGTH of our community that things like pandemics and central-bank-driven hyperinflation aren’t even PAUSING this amazing community asset that we so desperately NEED.
Dreams really can come true, Missoula. It just takes A LOT of other people’s money to make it happen.