In redefining the American Dream for the 21st century, Lackawanna County economic development director George Kelly thinks it can be instructive to go back to the 18th century and one of the republic's founding documents.
The pursuit of happiness that Thomas Jefferson wrote about in the Declaration of Independence may not equate with Americans' standard mantra of the past 60 or 80 years - marriage, children, a good job, a nice house in the suburbs "and a lovely dog out front," Mr. Kelly said.
But he said it can serve as a guide for developing something more relevant in contemporary terms.
"The real question is what makes you happy," said Mr. Kelly, a finance executive who was hired last month to head the county's new Department of Economic Development. "If I was a young person looking at what I am going to do or where I am going, the important thing is to come up with a plan that is going to achieve that happiness."
At a time and in an economy when many people view the old model as out of their reach, Mr. Kelly and others insist the American Dream - or at least its 21st-century equivalent - is something that can be attained with patience and savvy life choices.
It starts with education.
Austin Burke, president of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, said young people especially need to critically examine "the possibilities and the opportunities" available to them in Northeast Pennsylvania.
"While it may seem more difficult these days, the dream is still alive if you choose carefully the career that you want and prepare for that with the education that you need to capture that career," he said.
Mr. Kelly said education can be expensive, but it is the best way to guarantee that an individual will elevate their economic status.
"If you can't afford a (four-year) college education, look at a community college. If you can't afford community college, go to trade school and pick up a skill that is marketable," he said.
At the same time, education needs to be a process, not a destination, said Teri Ooms, director of the Wilkes-Barre-based Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development.
Many workers who were in jobs and careers they thought were safe, sound and secure were unprepared when the Great Recession proved them wrong, she said.
"I have two teens myself and I keep reminding them the world is changing, and you have to change with it," she said. "It means continuing education, lifelong learning, always upgrading your skills and learning something new or going back for new certifications and things like that."
Mr. Kelly said job security was not a big issue when an employee could count on "having that 30-year IBM job or 30-year AT&T job." Now every worker needs a backup plan.
"If your job goes away, what is your plan B?" he asked. "It might be having some skill sets or being able to do something else. You should come up with a plan and actually take steps to get that plan B going so you can be much more settled in life and you're not as stressed out with the day-to-day challenges."
Both he and Ms. Ooms said more people are correctly examining their spending with the goal of building up their savings, which was another lesson of the recession.
Mr. Kelly pointed out bankruptcies in Lackawanna County were down 13 percent last year, which tells him not only that the economy is improving but that people are spending less and holding onto their money.
"I think everybody just has to re-evaluate things differently and recognize that regardless of what age you are, allocating a savings line item on your family budget is extremely important," Ms. Ooms said.
That re-evaluation also extends to one of the cherished cornerstones of the American Dream: home ownership.
An ancillary finding of research the Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development performed for local clients over the past year is that more adult children are moving back with their parents and, in some cases, bringing children of their own with them, Ms. Ooms said.
"Does it mean they will never be able buy their own home? No, I don't think that is the case. I think it's going to take longer and probably cost more than most people anticipated, but I don't think it's a dream people should give up on," she said.
Before the real estate crash, owning a home was the fastest path to increasing personal wealth, and it is still a doable part of the American Dream, Mr. Kelly said.
But there is also the happiness factor, he said. People need to assess whether they really need to leverage everything to buy that four-bedroom, five-bath McMansion to be happy.
"It's like Warren Buffett saying you should buy the least car you can because it is the worst investment you ever make," Mr. Kelly said. "On a house, buy the least house that you can that will fit you comfortably because then your taxes are lower, your payments are lower, the maintenance is lower and your stress level is lower."
Mr. Kelly also preaches healthy living, pointing out that next to losing a job, a major health crisis is probably the biggest threat to economic security.
"It pays and it's in everyone's best interest to live healthier and give up some of those bad habits so that you actually minimize the threats to your financial well-being, your happiness," he said.
Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com