I quit smoking in January, 1969. I was in Viet Nam, about halfway through my tour, and thought "What a pregnant dog if I live through this mess, only to die by my own hand smoking." Another influence was Dick Gregory's line, "I wouldn't let anybody GIVE me cancer... I'll be damned if I'm gonna PAY somebody to do it."
A few years earlier, I was fortunate to work for a fellow named Bob Goodin. He was my boss, my friend, my mentor... the list goes on. But the biggest gift he gave me was what to expect if I ever decided to quit smoking (he did), and I found his counsel to be spot-on.
It only took me a couple of weeks to become a smoker, and I only smoked for about 4 years... "pack-a-day". When I quit, it was "cold turkey". It felt strange when I went to a bar and didn't have a smoke; it felt strange when I at a meal and didn't smoke afterwards; I felt as if I'd grown an extra arm - just like Bob said. It was different.
For about 2 years after that, I had nightmares in which I had found myself smoking again - just like Bob said.
But with each passing day, the cravings became a little less and a little less and a little less - just like Bob said.
I was determined. I quit referring to myself as an "ex-smoker" and began thinking of myself as a "non-smoker." I began noticing how bad it smelled when others around me lit up. It took a while. It can be done. For a long time now, I've had absolutely no desire to smoke.
Ya just decides how ya wants ta live. And die. And what for. [thumbsup]
Works with alcohol, too. :D
Works with alcohol???? Blasphemy! [laugh] [drink] [wine]
Had a couple of friends quit cold turkey years ago. It's funny, they are now both smoke nazis! It's like they see a smoker and they want to go over and beat the shit out of them. And if they smell smoke or (God forbid) someones smoke blows their way they are out of their chair and in someones face in a heart beat. Weird. I keep reminding them that their smoke blew all over me for years and I didn't try to kick their ass about it. Two completely different personalities but quiting smoking had the exact same effect.
Did Bob mention that? It's like my friends discovered a new religion or the highest level of enlightenment and they must spread the word and convert the unwashed masses. Cracks me up! [popcorn]
I smoked because I liked it and frankly it's my life. With that said why don't we pick on alcoholics too? Guess the nicotine hasn't left my system completely but I believe to each their own.
I liked smoking. That's why it was hard to quit.
And, yes, I became a smoke nazi, too. [leo] When chastising a friend for smoking many years ago in Cleveland, she looked me in the eye and said, "There is none so righteous as the reformed whore." :-[ I've been able to tone it down a bit since then. Not a lot, but some.
Quote from: GeorgeInDallas on April 12, 2010, 02:27:41 PM
"There is none so righteous as the reformed whore."
Love that quote, it's now mine.
[laugh] Now THAT is an awesome qoute [thumbsup]
Never started...seemed a strange habit to partake in. Always remembered that nobody sits downwind of a campfire, but would smoke cigs/fags/cigars etc. and it did not make sense. Had a Mom who smoked for 51 years and my Dad was a social smoker for years.
Yeah, both my folks smoked my entire life. I tell people that I smoked for 4 years, but if you count second-hand smoke, I smoked for 23 years... only had to PAY for smoking for 4 years.
>:(
did this become a Nazi thread?
:P There has been no mention of burning anyone with cigarettes or handing them one along with a blindfold ! Sieg Heil ! [bacon]
C'mon Muskrat grow a pair ..................... of lungs !!! [beer] Every time you want one they win - nothing like a good run up some stairs to cure that want ! You can do this ! If YOU think of a cigarette as Pelosi lips you will never want one near your lips again ! [laugh]
Quote from: muskrat on April 14, 2010, 06:45:10 AM[laugh]
>:(
did this become a Nazi thread?
LOL...au contraire Muskrat...you can exercise your free will and smoke all you want (please make sure it is Marlboro related - need to the dividends to keep rolling in). I have no problem with it, as long as, it does not get blown into my face.
I disagree with what the City of Dallas did regarding
their Nazi heavy hand and tell individual property owners (e.g. bars) that peeps can not smoke inside. If you do not like it, vote with your dollars (while they are worth more than the bolivar fuerte - for now) and go somewhere else. I think I got off tangent.
Quote from: muskrat on April 14, 2010, 06:45:10 AM
>:(
did this become a Nazi thread?
Knock, knock..
Who's there?
Gestapo!
Gestapo who?
VEE vill ask ze qvestions!!!
"City of Dallas did regarding their Nazi heavy hand"
my point exactly. Legislating morality never works out well. [leo]
Cyclone.....I just sent you pics of my pair, in case you thought I gave up mine in the marriage - NOT. ;D
Ya vas liubliu
um, don't mean to be argumentative (this time), but smoking bans are not about morality... any more than requiring food handlers in restaurants to wash their hands after using the restroom.
But I agree with you in the sense of Prohibition (i.e., alcohol, drugs, prostitution) and melding of church and state. I get your meaning.
Gandhi in Dallas
my inflection is not working. >:(
In essence, anything you do to put your body in harms way gives everyone else their right to protect you. Plainly put it's my life so stay out of it, although I agree with the hand washing very much. 8)
There is a line in the sand we should never cross and we do it every day. If smoking is the worst you can do and Nazi's appear from nowhere then why are overweight (notice I used a nicer adjective) people given a pass knowing that causes more health problems than anything else? Frankly I'm tired of meddlers and the more rope we give the powers to be the closer we are to that noose. We do this one step at a time and at the end of the yellow brick road we notice it's a dead end. Live life the way you want - we all know the consequences of riding a bike and we do it anyway despite everyone telling us they know someone who died in an accident. That's my point.
And stop arguing dammit.
Quote from: muskrat on April 15, 2010, 05:32:42 AM
my inflection is not working. >:(
...and this is new and different, how?
:-*
BTW--I'm glad you no longer force us to breathe your friggin' smoke any longer. [thumbsup]
Wait, my cigars don't count, right? ???
:P
Quote from: muskrat on April 15, 2010, 05:32:42 AM...why are overweight people...
Sir, the proper nomenclature is
"height/width proportinally challanged individual" Geeze, you should try to be more sensitive! [evil]
Quote from: muskrat on April 15, 2010, 05:32:42 AM
my inflection is not working. >:(
In essence, anything you do to put your body in harms way gives everyone else their right to protect you. Plainly put it's my life so stay out of it, although I agree with the hand washing very much. 8)
There is a line in the sand we should never cross and we do it every day. If smoking is the worst you can do and Nazi's appear from nowhere then why are overweight (notice I used a nicer adjective) people given a pass knowing that causes more health problems than anything else? Frankly I'm tired of meddlers and the more rope we give the powers to be the closer we are to that noose. We do this one step at a time and at the end of the yellow brick road we notice it's a dead end. Live life the way you want - we all know the consequences of riding a bike and we do it anyway despite everyone telling us they know someone who died in an accident. That's my point.
And stop arguing dammit.
The old saying (and my paradigm) is: "Your rights end where my nose begins." I think people should smoke if they like - I couldn't care less about their cancer or emphasema (sp?). HOWEVER, when their smoke hits my nose, that's a problem.
When people overeat, I don't get fat. When people drink too much, I don't get drunk. When someone does dirty needles, I don't get HIV or hepatitis. But when someone doesn't wash their hands before they prepare my food, I CAN get sick. And when someone smokes around me, I AM at risk for their disease(s). I only care about ME... your rights absolutely end where my nose begins. And vice versa.
(By the way, I love the smell of a good cigar.)
[thumbsup]
Addendum: For me, it's not a judgment about smokers or smoking - I used to be one. It's just a matter of self-preservation.
I am TOTALLY in favor of personal freedoms, probably well beyond the threshhold of anyone else on this forum (except maybe for Scott), maybe in all of TX. I am TOTALLY against legislating morality or "values".
Peace. Love. Rock'n'roll.
Would a drunk driver count if he hit someone else? It's not in your face but nonetheless it affected someone. Besides those that self inflict damage will not draw as much social security thus improving our balance sheet right?
Anyway my point is everyone should mind their own business including me. Btw do you think I'm fat? [evil]
Almost forgot. If I watch tv and see a pair of boobies can I shut down the tv station or do I have the right to change the channel? Metaphorically speaking
Why on earth would you want to shut down the TV station... or even blink???
My point exactly but there's too many sensitive punks in the world we must yet deal with!
Now go eat a tub of lard bt leave me out of it
Our spinal discs compress as we get older; that's what causes the bulge in the middle, not overeating. Just fo u Georgie
As Sigmund Freud once said: "sometimes, meine liebschen, a cigar is only a cigar" :o
As annoying as it is, find an incident of someone dying
from second hand smoke. Just sayin....
Quote from: TresGatos on April 15, 2010, 05:40:19 PM
As annoying as it is, find an incident of someone dying
from second hand smoke. Just sayin....
does it matter? they can link anything to smoking just like too much of anything - it causes cancer.
drunk drivers
transfat fried fries you are MADE TO EAT
SMOG
too much clorox
BUT the great state of Cali legalizes pot smoking for "medicinal" purposes and cigars are glorified yet 7 times more toxic than cigs.
When do we stop throwing stones at the glass house? Maybe I'm the only one fed up with people's self-rightousness
Quote from: muskrat on April 14, 2010, 10:04:07 AM
Cyclone.....I just sent you pics of my pair, in case you thought I gave up mine in the marriage - NOT. ;D
Ya vas liubliu
Testy - Testy That's a pair of testys !! [laugh]
Love you too bro! [thumbsup]
big COJONES. wanna feel'em? :o
I like this thread, it should be up past 2,000 posts by now. DAMMIT!
People live longer now than ever. We are a bunch of
whiners. As I puff on a big ass Partagas and sip
Milagro Silver with fresh squeezed Key Lime. Waaaa :'(
[leo]
Quit complaining, that's my job.
I think quitters are the root of all that's wrong with the world today. People who don't finish what they start are immoral. There should be policies in place to deal with this half-assed, shoddy mentality. You should have enough mental fortitude to finish what you started Dax!
[beer]
I'm tempted but will leave a trail of bodies in my wake in the process. Not sure I can stand the thought of that. Yeah right, who am I kidding?