Day I

The first time

     This blog’s for smokers who want to quit. It’s my account of how I got started, and my sometimes, humorous attempts to quit, through 20 years of trying. Here’s hoping my experiences may be helpful to some. I’ll try to post daily, but should I miss a day, God willing I’ll continue the next. One smoker’s odyssey or I quit…really!

                                 One Smoker's Odyssey
                                     or I quit... really!                                (copyright, September 7th, 2010)


     I sympathize, and empathize with smokers who want to quit. Imho, it’s one of the toughest habits to break. I started smoking at 15, the summer before my high school sophomore year, then smoked for the next 20 years. Back then lots of kids stole butts from their folks; smoked on the way to school; sneaked out at lunch for a quick smoke; and after school smoked on the way home. Sad, but many are still smoking. At present thirty eight million people have quit, but 50 million of us are still trying to quit.

     I remember the first time, three of us, pals, smoking on the rooftop. It was the middle of summer, and we shared a smoke one kid took from his mom’s purse. Fat Jimmy tried to light it as we all looked around, nervously turning our heads, looking, and hoping nobody would bust us. Jimmy lit the match, and put it under his butt, his hand shaking as he held the match. He was blowing on it, when Joe stopped him, and said:

     “Ya pusy, ya gotta inhale, man!” “Whaaa at!” Jimmy looked at him.

     “Puts it in ya mouf, man, and suck on it.”

     “Whaaaa at!” he screamed again.

     “Suck on it, ya dummy!” We yelled at him almost a cappella: “Suck it, suck it!”

     “Ya poivoits!”