We're excited to launch a new series for our Patch readers: "Dispatches: The Changing American Dream."

Every day, the national media is full of stories about how American families, businesses, and neighbors are adjusting to these trying times. 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 believe there is a single concept of an "American Dream," but that the phrase takes on new meaning with each person who hears it. Everyone has their own deeply personal definition. 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 neighbors, fit along these fault lines.

Brookline Patch is already doing these stories as part of the way we cover life in Brookline. For example, the story about T'ART creator Linda Amir, or the Viewfinder piece following stories of Brookline's cab drivers. Or, there's the couple behind the Cognac Bistro.

Of course, we want your help: Tell us what issues and what stories in Brookline go to the heart of your American Dream. Leave us a comment, send a tweet, post to our Facebook page, or send an e-mail to Grahame.Turner@Patch.com.