Announcing Dispatches — Patch's Take on the American Dream

We're excited to inaugurate a new series for our Patch Readers — "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream."

Arianna Huffington wrote a blog last week laying out how Patch and the Huffington Post will be collaborating on this project and about how local residents can help sculpt its evolution.

Every day, you hear stories about how families, businesses and even your neighbors are adjusting to an ever-changing world.

There are so many changes happening so fast that it's dizzying: national debates about unemployment, foreclosures, debt, religion, government and private enterprise all touch on fundamental ways in which we see ourselves and our communities.

At Patch, we want to explore that conversation on a daily basis so we can better understand how our neighbors are adjusting to the challenges and opportunities that surround us.

We don't think there's one American Dream, but a multitude of American Dreams that a multitude of people are working toward. In some ways, this has always been the case.

Looking out across nearly 900 Patch sites, we see businesses holding their breath, deciding whether to expand; college graduates returning home because they can't find jobs; and senior citizens bringing boarders into their homes to help pay their bills.

We also see bold new volunteer efforts, inspiring stories of local businesses that succeed because they innovated, and locals who've taken these trying times as a signal to engage more, not less, in their government.

At the purely local level, we want to know where we, as Arlington County neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

This is a diverse community, one that prides itself on being home to America's "Best and Brightest" since the days of World War II.

"Dispatches" will be built upon the compelling vignettes and snapshots we unearth across all of our Patch sites.

Remember , the story about young lawyers who have had to look outside the legal profession to find gainful — or, in some cases, more enjoyable — employment? That's exactly the kind of story we're talking about.

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