I started reading Thomas L. Friedman’s book sometime in late December or early January. It was a bit of a long book. Well, I read a lot of other things since then and now. But, I’m finally finished and am astounded. The book has opened my eyes to the situation America is in, that the world is in.

First, you must understand what he means when he says the world is flat. To define it simply, it means that there is now a level playing field, that everything isn’t necessarily controlled from the top down. America is still the world’s superpower, but the rest of the world is steadily catching up. Many will soon catch up and quite possibly surpass us economically and technologically.

He gives a detailed analysis of the 10 flatteners effecting the world right now, starting with the date 11/9/89 — the fall of the Berlin Wall. Next up was the date Netscape went public, 8/9/95. If there are any two dates you might want to know about before stepping into this book, those would be the two. They changed the world forever.

Another date to keep in mind is 9/11/2001. There’s no need to explain what happened that day on the surface, but underneath, something else resulted — America started shutting its doors in ways that could possibly make it not so super-powerful in the coming years.

The world is catching up with education. Fewer and fewer students are graduating in the vitally important fields of mathematics and science. However, in places such as India and China, most students get degrees in those fields, and we are closing our doors to many of those students. That factor, and many others, are causing us to lose ground. More American companies are going global, and they’ll hire the best from anywhere. “And we still do hire lots of Americans,” said Craig Barrett, Intel’s chairman. “But today we can hire the best talent around the world and be successful.”

Many services are being outsourced. Called any customer support number anytime in the last few years? There’s a good chance you didn’t talk to an American.

Friedman isn’t arguing that the flattening of the world is a bad thing. He’s arguing that America needs to wake up. It’s hard to stay innovative when you’re at the top. Those other countries have something to shoot for — America. America has to create something to shoot for, which is harder.

“Does your society have more memories than dreams,” Friedman asks. When you have dreams, you have a goal you’re aiming for. When you have memories, you’re thinking about the past. Let those memories overtake the dreams, and you’re country is doomed to lose its ground.

What the author wants to stress as the most important thing of all for America is education, specifically education in science and math. The moment we took over the world is the moment JFK decided to make these fields more important. It was the moment America decided that math and science would save our country. The moment it became something to strive for. And largely, America has lost that. Nobody’s interested in those fields anymore. That’s probably why I’ve encountered few American math or science teachers.

The next most important thing is that America cannot wall itself in. It will only slow our progress down. If we’re shutting out those people who are the best and brightest in those fields, we’re losing the people who will carry us into the future as leaders. We’re cutting off globalization, and that’s a bad thing.

I have to note that a major part of the book focuses on how anyone can make a name for him or her self. Since the world is becoming flat and losing the top-down heirarchy of previous workplaces, the little guy can actually make a difference in this new world. Take a look at YouTube or Ebay. There’s a definite change happening. Cultures are starting to understand other cultures. The little guy is making money with his Internet-based business. The world is changing drastically.

I can hardly cover the amount of material Friedman covered in his book. He focused on many fields, companies, and countries while researching. You must know that the Internet is a driving force behind the flattening of the world. There are also those who can take new technology and destroy this process. Mostly, the flattening of the world means better lives for everyone. He’ll ask you how many countries have gone to war with each other that has a McDonald’s. You’ll see there’s none, except for a few minor skirmishes.

Overall, Friedman does a good job laying out where we are now, what the future holds, and what we must do about it. America might not stay on top forever, but we should at least be prepared to live and work in a flat world.

Several times I thought of something I would like to have blogged about. However, I opted to watch Stargate Atlantis: Season 1 on DVD. Yes, another sci-fi show. That’s what I bought with some of the money I got for my birthday. And, I still can’t seem to shake this sci-fi mood I’ve been in for the past few months. It’s like I need it both mentally and physically.

I’m not going to go on about my obsession with sci-fi though. Instead, I’ll write a little about a conversation I had tonight.

My best friend, the one from The Guidebook To Dating My Best Friend, called me to wish me a happy birthday. Yes, a day late. We didn’t talk long, but we got on the subject of my age, which is not uncommon when it is one’s birthday.

By the way, I’m now 23. It hasn’t sunk in completely. I don’t feel a day older than 18. Maybe a little wiser, in a little worse health. I know 23 isn’t old, but somehow it feels like it’s some kind of defining number. We talked about the things my dad done before he was 23. He had joined the Army, traveled the world, and had me. He done all of this by the time he was my age. Well, he was about to be 24 when I was born, but close enough.

I suppose what I’m getting at is that I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished anything in my life, and that I should’ve done so already. Sure, I’m graduating college next week. I’ve made a few WordPress themes (go check those out). I’ve written a few things. Maybe I’ve changed somebody’s life in a fundamental way and I don’t even know it.

I know I’m only thinking about these things because it is my birthday, well was. Graduation probably has a little to do with it also.

My life is about to change in a very real way, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Mostly, I think it’s because I don’t feel in control anymore. That’s one reason I don’t feel 18 (I think it fits under the wiser category). I probably wasn’t in control at 18, I just felt like I was — whole world in front of ya’ kid. That whole world belonged to me. I could do what I wanted to do. Be who I wanted to be. I’m sure you know the rest.

I don’t feel that way anymore. I can probably still do anything I want to do, or that could just be the idea that a capitalist society put in my head (I won’t even digress on the subject of capitalism as slavery — I’ll save that for another day). To be successful, I think I need that again.

I often say to myself, “Given the average American life span, I have another 50 something years or more to do what I want to do.” I say the same thing about marriage, which I still hope not to do until I’m at least 30 — 40+ years is enough time to spend with someone. But, all too often I find myself thinking the opposite. That’s American culture for you — if you’re not a star when you’re 16, then it only gets tougher as you age.

You can find numerous posts in my archives in which I repeat these same words. I know being 23 doesn’t mean it’s too late. I know that instead of blogging about not accomplishing anything, I should be doing something about it. But, that’s what I do. I wonder about life’s adventures most of the time instead of living them.

Maybe after I finish finals I can live a little. Stop worrying about what important things I’ve not accomplished, and go do something important for humankind. Save a puppy from a burning building. Write a novel that changes someone’s life. Run for a public office (the world knows we need better leadership). Heck, maybe I’ll even find a soulmate, or at least a girlfriend since I don’t believe in soulmates. Create peace. Find peace. Find a few of the answers to the universe, or come to the realization that there are no answers.

So much to do. I still have 50 years. I wonder if that’s enough time.

“You shouldn’t waste your time on stuff like that,” he said. (Although, he later claimed that he used the phrase, “Waste all your time.”)

I was taken aback by his utter lack of sensitivity toward one of my favorite pastimes. It would be like him saying, “Don’t waste your time writing.” My passion for web design is as strong as my passion for writing.

Basically, he was telling me, which he tried to explain through the rest of our conversation, is that I need to start focusing on my career ahead. Not web design. As if that could actually be a career.

I know what he’s trying to do. He’s trying to make me understand that I will one day have to provide for myself (actually, that’s pretty soon), provide for a family, and have a good retirement plan set up.

But, what I don’t think he realizes is that he is trying to turn me into a Cookie-Cutter American. Answers.com defines cookie-cutter as “Appearing to be mass-produced; identical in appearance.”

So that’s it. I’m expected to fit into this traditional mold of what it means to be American. Work the 9 to 5. Marry a great woman (which wouldn’t be so bad one day I suppose). Raise two or three kids. Own a two-car garage and a white-picket fence down a street perfectly aligned with three-bedroomed homes ending in a cul-de-sac. Nurture a dog named Fluffy. Cheer at football games. Applaud at school plays.

My generation isn’t set up to be a part of this conventional America from a 1950s sitcom that our parents play out in their heads. Our conventional America will be different than theirs.

I was always told as a youngster that I could be anything I wanted to be, do anything that I wanted to do. However, that’s not the reality when you grow up. People stop telling you those things. They tell you that you must take this job because it has dental. You must take this job because it has a better retirement plan.

No one tells you that you can be a rock star any more. You’re not good enough to play in the NFL. You can’t be a renowned author. And, you most certainly can’t blog for a living; you must remember, it doesn’t offer a life insurance policy.

I’ve been exposed to this degrading of dreams for a few years now. I’m out of high school, about to finish college, and I must embark upon the cruel reality of the job market. I’m no longer allowed to have dreams, at least not openly because it’s simply not supposed to happen. Only the lucky few get to live out their dreams. And time has passed me over. I’m 22 now. I’m too old to become the next pop star.

To hell with that, I say. Why can’t I live out the dreams I was told were possible as a kid? Why can’t I win the Nobel Prize? Why can’t I take home the Oscar for Best Director or Best Screenplay? Why can’t I put in 80-hour weeks to become the next millionaire blogger? That last one may be tough since I hardly have readership as it is. Nevertheless, why can’t I accomplish all these things in my lifetime?

The harsh pill to swallow is that my dad is, in part, right. And I agree with him. After I receive my diploma next May, I will have to join in with the millions of Americans in the work force. Maybe I’ll do something I’ll fall passionately in love with. Maybe I’ll become content with the life of the Cookie-Cutter American.

I know I’ll never be content though. I dream too much. My head wanders, and it takes me to places that I can’t remove myself from.