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.   

Works with alcohol, too.   

Works with alcohol? Blasphemy!

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!

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.     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.

    Now THAT is an awesome qoute   

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?

  There has been no mention of burning anyone with cigarettes or handing them one along with a blindfold !  Sieg Heil !

C'mon Muskrat grow a pair ..................... of lungs !!!    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 ! 

Quote from: muskrat on April 14, 2010, 06:45:10 AM


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. 

Cyclone.....I just sent you pics of my pair, in case you thought I gave up mine in the marriage - NOT. 

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. 

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.