Are Americans Lazy?

It is interesting to see that now that I have religiously started reading the news every day (what else can you expect me to do while I have nothing to do at work?), how many ideas I get for a blog post just by glancing at the headlines.

I am not sure if it was CNN or businessweek (those were the only two I looked at today, but I swear I know their contents by heart – almost!), so as I was saying, am not sure which one it was, but one of them carried a headline which went like "are Americans lazy?" Now I didn't want to be caught reading that headline for the fear that someone in my office think am a scorning scoffing desi who thinks to much of herself and her own country and culture. So I didn't go on to read why they had that headline and what made them question the activity level of a regular American bloke/blokesses(?)

So since I do not know the contents of that news item, I would like to present my own views here on the topic. Now like any other desi, I had most of my views about this country based on the movies and tv shows that I saw, or the reports I read in the newspaper. Am sure you all know most of those have to do with the soap opera lives of people like Britney spears and all. NOW that I think back I don't know what made me believe in this big old myth as well, but after arriving here and trying to live like an American (and failing miserably at that mind you), I have concluded that Americans are one of the most hard working people I know.

How can I say that, you ask? Aren't these the people who have a dishwasher to do their dishes? Aren't these the people who drive to the neighbourhood grocery store just to get a snickers bar? They put their laundry in a dryer not hang it to dry, they eat frozen food, have ready to bake cake mixes for crying out loud. Then why?

Well I will tell you why. Anyone who has ever loaded the dishwasher would know that even that takes too much effort. You don't just eat and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Noooo, you rinse 'em first! and had my kitchen been big enough (its like a lil matchbox) I would probably have washed my dishes by hand rather than rinse them thoroughly and then do the complicated geometric and arithmetic of trying to fit all the dishes in and loading the stupid machine with full efficiency. And people thing Americans lack logic and sense!

And the washing and drying? Well, it isn't as effortless as it seems either. If you live in one of those apartment complexes with a thousand and one people living there, you have to be quick on a Saturday morning to find the washer dryer! And it isn't fun incorporating the whole 2 hours it takes to get done with it into yr schedule. AND once you are done there comes the ironing! Oh joy! I miss my dhobi!

Anyways, before I get side tracked by the list of my daily struggles with the systems and work burdens and basically growing up, I must return back to the main point here. As I was saying, you would think that the countless gadgets that they use probably make their work go poof, well it does not! And what I realized, much to my astonishment, was that not only do these people work hard, party harder and do everything in a way which even if not perfect is pretty darn good.

They reach work early, even if it's a 2 hrs commute, and they look like they just stepped out of the salon (anyone who has been on a Chicago subway during rush hour would know that its almost like Delhi's EMU, except that no one is hanging for dear life OR pinching your butt or boobs). They go shopping after a full day of work, then maybe a dinner with friends, a play, a movie or something, and somewhere in between they find the time for an intense work out at the gym. I don't know when they just lie down for a while or go to sleep! There were times at college when I used to wonder if my room mate had slept for days. Not because she looked like a zombie, but because in between her sports, her studies, her parties and her baking for girl scouts or whatever, I never saw her head to bed! During exam days, she would be studying when I would head off to sleep and she was probably up and out of the house before I was!

I don't know if I would ever be able to juggle so many balls together without dropping a one. I have been trying and its very hard. I don't know how these people do it every day, but I have started admiring them for this talent that they possess. So Americans lazy? I think not!