One man’s dream: threatened by grief, saved by community
By Neal Karlen (1.27.2012)
RALEIGH, N.C. — Today, political morticians of most every genus are finishing their dissections of this week’s State of the Union Address. Yes, the conventional wisdom now conventionally goes, Obama occasionally played political chess. Yet more seriously, he seemed to have confronted the quandary of whether or not the American Dream of owning a home, sending one’s kids to college, and retiring in dignity had evolved into a pipe dream, reserved for Americans who come to the table with pockets already bulging with chips.
One of the President’s closest observers is Taylor Cash, 56, owner of “Taylor’s,” a British Petroleum gas station located in a residential neighborhood just off the interstate in Raleigh, N.C. Last year, a broken heart last year almost destroyed his own version of that American dream – in his case, building and maintaining a thriving family business.
Followed.
![theatlantic:
In Kazakhstan, A Beautiful, Futuristic New Subway System
Just last month, Kazakhstan became home to the newest subway system in the world, and photos of the transit system 23 years in the making show that Sacha Baron Cohen’s comedic portrayal of the country could not be further from the truth. Read more.
[Image: English Russia]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyf4aaf7xB1qcokc4o1_500.jpg)
