We've lost the war on losing weight. Do your job and shut up!

A very good friend just returned from Spain; instantly I questioned, “What do they think of American’s?”

“They say we’re fat and lazy…”

End of story.

Only on the radio can you keep me trapped inside seven seconds.

So the world thinks we’re fat and lazy…offended? Yes. Embarrassed? Yes. In an age of unending cutbacks and legalized department head demands that truly can’t be met, we’ve earned the right to brag about working harder and longer than those before us; only to be downsized by the mental images held by other boarder patrols.

Why does the world think we’re lazy? Is it because of an addiction to larger than sin flat screens, the constant drive to fork out fifteen bucks to see a weekend movie, our loyalty to shopping at malls, flea markets and on line? We do to say we do only because after we’ve done…we need to do to better accept the doing of a nation gone mad on forcing doer’s to do or else.

Do the pictures sent through web page vibrations showcase a heavier than normal American and without further thought the first impression is overweight means lazy? With fast food venues on every corner, vending machines at work and stadiums that promote concessions more than professional players…our commitment has evolved into a burning desire to eat.

But lazy?

As much as you want to believe the company policy of keeping you at forty hours a week is their mandate to being accepted as a straight and forward law abiding group of thinker’s and doer’s…those in the trenches are anything but lazy and have decided in the name of saving their rights to have insurance to keep their mouths shut.

“How many hours do you work?”

“40…”

“Have you ever not been paid overtime for work that’s not part of your daily commitment to the company to which you work for?”

This is where you have to be careful because the distance you put between your words is a true sign that something isn’t right in your lie.

American’s are committed people. Although some need to be challenged to participate with the rest of the waves moving forward; the process of our success story is…we get the job done in ways that outshine other nations but because their elected officials have found no purpose in protecting the rights of their workforce it’s their legal right to keep the cost of hourly work at unlivable levels…American’s look bad for wanting to collect a few more dollars on their paycheck.

An eight hour day is no different than a work of art from Peter Max. It’s what you bring to the canvas that adds value to the end result. Business leaders don’t recognize those numbers they see the total cost of the end result not the amount of human developed energy swiped from a one time extremely important family morals.

That’s where we’re lazy. Family time, at home escapes in man caves, art rooms, cluttered closets or mind melting in front of Oprah, being a lone in the bathroom to do what only comes natural is a complete waste of company time. And like a brother or sister fresh from the bowels of a good old fashioned sibling blowing up and out…the very second someone questions the situation the leader of the pack raises there arms and carelessly denies any wrong doing…knowing that doing can’t be done unless the doer is willing to do without leading others on in the way of illegally doing what’s required to be done or you’re gone.

Fat because a burger never treats me bad. I’ve yet to have an argument with a Krispy Kreme. Fat because there’s nothing left in the heart to want to do anything at home not even mow the lawn. Fat because technology has laced your shoes to a desk like handcuffs on Charles Manson left out for public display.

Lazy?

Place ten American’s in a room with no mirrors and microphones and within seconds you’ll document the unpainted truths about a people wrongly accused and because of it we’ve decided to stop fighting and just participate. Mom and Dad, uncles and aunts and grandparents from several decades back wouldn’t have let this happen to their America.

Fat and lazy allows us to accept change as long as we have insurance at the end of every day.

I will always believe in you first…

arroecollins@clearchannel.com