The American Dream.

When I was a little kid I believed in a lot of things that turned out not to be entirely true. The Eater Bunny and Tooth Fairy went 'poof' when I was around five. Old Man Christmas made one last descent down my chimney when I was eight and then I banished him to the realm of unicorns and the exploding-soda-and-pop-rocks-combination-farce.

I was also told, numerous times, that I could be anything I wanted to be when I grew up. If I put in enough time and effort (see...there are catches already) the sky was the limit. Soon, once I discovered the tumultuous realm of long division, I scratched my plans involving space travel or anything else that necessitated me having to use scratch paper to achieve my end result. I was a bit disillusioned because I no longer found this mantra of Americana to be absolutely true. But, oh well, I could still be a world class soccer player.

As I grew older I revised this idea of unbridled and boundless potential to include categories where I showed potential... Thought perhaps I could be whatever I wanted as long as there was inclination and ability (my World Cup soccer hopes were dashed when I discovered I was probably the slowest kid in a three-state radius). It doesn't sound quite as catchy,"You can be whatever you want if you happen to have some natural talent in that area, and if not, the likelihood goes waaaay down." But, I found this to be truer than what was explained to me as a child. The one constant, however, is that time and effort were still a crucial part of the equation.

But what happens if a child is very talented or gifted in an area but their life's circumstances do not afford them the chance to develop these skills? Okay, I understand there are incredible stories of successful adults that bucked the odds and overcame traumatic and difficult childhoods to become legends in spite of their environment. These people are not the norm and for every Horatio Algers that struck it rich there are a thousand children who might not ever get a decent opportunity to soar because they lack a few basic things.

Like proper nutrition. Kids who do not eat breakfast go to school hungry and studies show that this affects a child's academic performance. What about privacy? How does trying to study while sharing a room with two other siblings because there are five people living in a one-bedroom apartment factor into this equation?

What if this 10 year old has responsibilities that other kids don't. Cooking dinner and looking after the other children until their mom gets home from work at 7:30pm. Then they can start their homework. Or what if they get sick and cannot afford to go to the hospital? Oh... never mind, there are free and reduced clinics. This solves everything.

My point is this: It is laughable to assume there is a level playing field in America that gives all children an equal opportunity to succeed. This is not a political blog and I will not blame (or praise) any specific party or endorse a political ideology. My sole indictment is reserved for anyone who is able to help children but refuses to. So, what does this look like? That is up to you. Start a free breakfast program. Volunteer to be a tutor or help in an after school program. Become a coach or mentor.

Just don't tell a child that he or she can be whatever they want unless you are willing to be part of the journey.