happiness by the numbers

Hello there.
Remember a while ago when I said I was going to include Italian words in my posts? And then I never did? Well here are some more:
la spilla - a brooch
la folla - a crowd
il compagno - a schoolfriend (I don't know the difference between a schoolfriend and a friend)
l'uva - grapes
These words are not going to be a regular thing. Every once in a while. Like Fireside Chats. Now let's get to the good stuff.
So after school I always go on my afternoon duties - check email, Twitter, Show of Hands, Home Access (my grades), the works. So I checked on Show of Hands - remember, this is my poll app - and there was one that immediately caught my eye: The key to happiness: focus deeply on the one thing that's most important to you, or experience as many different things as possible? Th answer choices are "depth" or "breadth".
I was completely intrigued. What would America say?
The verdict: breadth. Only by a little. It was a 42-58 breakdown. Almost everywhere said "breadth" is more important, except for Oregon (remember, this is pronounced oar-ehh-GONE, not "organ" with a small slurred syllable in the middle), Idaho, Montana, Utah, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Florida, North Carolina, West Virginia, Vermont, and Rhode Island. Five states - all in the west or Midwest - were on the fence. Females believed breadth was more important than males did, although most males said breadth, and Democrats were much more passionate about breadth than were Republicans. Older people were more into the "breadth" thing, as were people who made less than $50,000 a year.
The rest of us said "breadth" (and actually, as I check it now, the poll has changed to only 6 states, including the "fencers", say "depth"). Why? This is because experiencing different things in life will make you more of a person. Sure, it's great to become an expert in Alexander the Great and know more than anyone else in the world - yes, in the world - on the subject, but when all you know is Alexander the Great and ancient Persia, what else do you have? That is why it is so important to learn as many things as you can and to broaden your horizons as much as you can. That's how you can become a dynamic character in your own story. Just ask America.