Outside perspective of "meaningful"

If we think about it, we already know what things are meaningful to us already.
We went home to interview our family and friends and hear what they thought was important to them. I interviewed my mother first. She said” family is important, because you’re my child you’re my #1 priority and making what you can out of what you have in life so that you can be as happy as possible.”
Not being satisfied with what our friends and family though it was our job to go outside and ask the people of New York city what they thought about meaning and what was meaningful in there lives. My partner and I started our interviewing at the Hotel across the street. We interviewed the doorman for the hotel. We asked him what he thought was meaningful in his life. Immediately saying “My dog, he makes me really happy”
we continued on asking about if he thought this year’s presidential elections were meaningful and who would he vote for. He said “yeah the elections are important and would probably vote for Obama. We expected him to say his friends and family were meaningful but didn’t mention it once.
The next place we ran off to was a construction site around the corner. We interviewed 2 guys and we asked them what do you think is meaningful in your life. He responded by saying “family is really important to me,(me) ‘do you think love is meaningful?’, yes I do, a lot, love is very meaningful”
I also asked “do you think money is meaningful?” he answered quickly by saying “yes I do, money makes the world go round” he also mentioned that he thought that we make meaningful things for ourselves and if they disappeared then he would feel very hollow.
Next stop was the Duane Read 3 blocks away. We asked an employee what she thought was meaningful in her life and answer “my children” she also mentioned that she thinks she doesn’t need love for life to be meaningful.
Next stop was The pizza place on the corner. My partner and I choose this random lady because she looked like she was going to give us better answers. We asked her what is meaningful in your life. It took her a minute to answer us because we could tell it could have been the first time someone had asked her. She said” everything, school, love and family. We also asked her what she thought the meaning of wisdom is and also hesitated with her answer but eventually said “learning from life experiences”
On day 2 of our interviews my partner and I went to the baby store down the block. We asked an employee what he thought was meaningful in life and said “family and technology” she seamed kind of offended by the question as if we should already know the answer to that question.
Next door to the baby store was a Chock Full of nuts place and asked the lady working at the counter what she thought was meaningful in her life. Immediately she said “my children, I have 3 kids. She said life wouldn’t be the same if her children and family disappeared.
Next door to chock full of nuts was an American Apparel store. We interviewed two employees, a man and a woman. We asked what they thought was meaningful in there lives. The Guy immediately answered first and said “Love, Music, Business, money”
He explained to us that we have two different kids of family. The family that we make which are our friends and the family that we get which are our relatives. The woman said” money makes the world go round, that’s why its important.