Day CLXXX

We Quit!

     We were smokers, I smoked more than her, but just the same we both smoked a lot. We had a friend, who was my golfing buddy, and he and his wife would come over. We played dominoes, and discussed world affairs, we knew how to solve the world’s problems. In our dining room we drank wine, and smoked packs, and packs of cigarettes till two, three or when ever we ran out of either smokes or wine. When we found ourselves looking in ash trays for a smoke, it was time to call it a night. That was before the WUI laws, and I thank God nobody ever got hurt going home.

    We raised three kids, who finished college; played basketball; little league; YMCA League; PSAL leagues, and participated in the boy scouts. Going through all of that, I was either an assistant coach or scout master. It really bothered me that coaches, and scout masters smoked in the presence of kids. It didn’t bother them at all, it seems that they didn’t have a clue. Occasionally some mom or dad would object, but mostly everybody smoked amongst the kids. It is indeed a very selfish habit, the only concern being that I need a smoke, and to hell with every body else. I’m just as guilty, so I’m not pointing fingers here, I’m just making an observation of our attitude when satisfying our need for a smoke…indulging the nicotine beast in us.

     Truly having kids was a great motivator for us to quit. We didn’t want them to grow up in a tobacco haze. We wanted to set an example for them, so that they wouldn’t just slide into, and acquire our bad habit. Still it was tough! But both of us quit, I guess we were each others support system, and as the boys got older, they became mom and dad’s don’t smoke club.