Americans Like Livin’ Large



This is Domino, a beloved member of our family.  At 12 years old, he can still chase a rabbit!

            Our national creed as Americans, at least in the past several decades, seems to be that “bigger is better.”  In Sarah Wexler’s new book, Living Large: From SUVs to Double Ds: Why Going Bigger Isn’t Going Better, she looks at a number of phenomena that are popular in our society: big box stores, Hummers, McMansions, mega-churches, The Mall of America, etc.  In her research, she asks the question: Where does this hunger come from?  What need does all this “bigness” fulfill? How are our lives different than from years ago when most people had only one TV and one car, and we all shopped at mom and pop stores?  Now I’ll admit that a jaunt to Wal-Mart is a convenient way to get everything I need in one stop.  And, the Mall of America is actually kind of a cool place, albeit overwhelming.  So, I do appreciate the author’s approach, in that she simply does not write off all of this as entirely negative.  Still, she recognizes that America’s insatiable desire for “more” has landed us into a heap of trouble debt-wise, and she challenges us to re-examine our priorities as we decide what truly adds value to our lives and what doesn’t.

            Another author I’ve been reading is Mireille Guiliano, who wrote the popular book, French Women Don’t Get Fat.  In this book, she observes the extreme nature of the American lifestyle.  Either we’re downing “biggie” Cokes and fries, she observes, or we’re going on crash diets and sweating to death at the gym.  She compares this with the French lifestyle, where people integrate walking, biking, and climbing stairs into their day. They LOVE to eat, but eat modest portions and save pastries for special occasions.

            An article I’ve enjoyed is one I found in Woman’s Day by Lori Erickson, entitled “The Little House That Could.” (check out her blog at Spiritual Travels).  She writes about her family’s decision to stay in their small home instead of move to a larger one. “In our not-so-big house,” she says, “it’s harder for us to ignore each other by retreating to our own spaces.  As my sons have grown, I’ve been able to look over their shoulders as they were doing homework at the dining room table, and overhear their conversations with friends in the basement.  I know when they’re playing video games on the computer instead of doing research for a school project, and what kind of music they’re listening to. And I’ve noticed something funny over the years: Our house is the smallest of any of their circle of friends, but it’s still the favorite gathering place (proving that a well-stocked refrigerator trumps extra rooms any day).”

            What do you think?  Is bigger always better?

            For life is what you make it.  So make it good!