justplainbil

Just Plain Bill

Does SIZE really matter?

Throughout each day, we hear that “size does matter” in all kinds of advertisements, medical claims, or jokes of all degrees of acceptability.

Each starts with the assumption that bigger is always better. To me, it all depends on context. Life’s experiences and circumstances have taught me that size does matter, but that bigger is not always better.

I imagine we all interpret the comment on our own terms, from a perspective based on our personal circumstances. Bigger must seem better to someone “vertically-challenged” and not big enough to reach something. What about something cerebral such as the "size" of our vocabulary? How can bigger be better if someone on the receiving end of the vocabulary doesn’t understand the sender’s message? How about a technological skill set? There are certainly times when a specialist is preferred over a general professional. How critical is the relative size of our family? Our group of friends? Our circles of influence?

As I reflect on the term “size” in relation to my family – one sibling, my mother, and an absent father by the onset of my teenage years – it’s natural to ponder what my life would have been like if the size of my family had included many siblings and close relatives. I’d like to imagine each would have benefitted me in some way, even if by something as simple as expanding my perceptions of the world and the personalities in it.