Junk Food

Let's face it: at one time or another, we've all had the urge. A giant, juicy cheeseburger and greasy french fries, washed down with a big cup of sugary sweet carbonated goodness. Nectar of the gods, right? (OK, so maybe it's not a burger and fries, but just substitute your junk food poison of choice here.)

Sometimes, you just have a craving. You belly is rumbling, you've got a measly $3 in your pocket, and you just don't feel like driving the extra 2 miles to eat anything better. Hell, everything in moderation, right? I mean, one cheeseburger ain't gonna kill you, right? Besides, you'll eat healthy for dinner. Maybe a salad and fresh fish. Hit the gym a little extra tomorrow.

But for now, it's a quickie. And so good going down. For less than the cost of a gallon of high-test, you got your fix and fought off starvation for another couple of hours, and you didn't even have to waste the gas driving the extra few blocks for anything else. Ha! Congratulations. You beat the system, kid! Now you have all that extra time to take the nap that's sure to follow. Let the other guy do all the work trying to stay healthy.

But wait... What's that feeling? Your stomach? That... that lump. *urp* Ooof. Hmmm... how are you feeling now? Maybe that meal wasn't so satisfying in the end after all. Sure, it was an easy catch. And sure, it required no investment in time and zero thinking. It was fast, local, and you couldn't beat the price. But for the last half hour, you can hardly keep your eyes open and it feels like a sack of warm, wet cement in your gut... and it's slowly trying to ooze its way back up your esophagus.

What's that? You think maybe the other guy had it right after all? The guy who spent the extra few minutes driving to a better meal, investing a little more in gas and time? The guy who ate a satisfying lunch that gave him the energy and stength to charge through the day, rather than winding up bloated and run down from the fast-food fix?

If you haven't guessed already, I'm really not talking about burgers and fries here. Is your business based on a solid, well planned menu, or a steady diet of quick hits that leaves the illusion of being full one minute, but the reality of an upset stomach the next? The next time the phone rings, and the new prospect on the other end of the receiver has some new business for you, think carefully: is it a well balanced meal, or just a cheap, quick jolt to the books that eventually makes you regret taking the first bite?

(Unless we're talkin' seasoned curly fries. Those are always worth it.)