The Great American Smoke-Out is today. It is always the 3rd Thursday in November. It's that day when everyone who smokes is encouraged to kick the habit so they don't kick the bucket too young. So if you are a smoker and you are someone I love then please consider kicking the habit today. If you are someone I don't know, then please consider kicking the habit today. I don't think there are any other categories of people...to know you all is to love you!
Here are two interesting coincidences regarding the timing of this holiday
1. This year it falls the day before "Have a Bad Day Day." Yes, I can see how tomorrow might be a bad day if you just quit smoking, work with someone who just quit smoking, live with someone who just quit smoking, or work in a service industry in general on the day after many people have just quit smoking.
2. It always falls one week before Thanksgiving.
That second item brings several questions to mind.
1. Would you like to get together for a big family meal with someone carving the turkey, big sharp carving knife in hand, that has just quit smoking, is feeling really edgy, and overhears cousin Josephine over in the corner complain yet again about how the Smith branch of the family behaved at Great grandad's wake twelve years ago?
2. If you had just quit smoking, how grateful would you feel?
I've never been a smoker. It isn't hard to imagine the difficulty of giving up cigarettes, though, she said as she sipped her second cup of caffeinated coffee at 6:11 a.m. I think the reason I have never smoked is because of my dad. And here is that story, whether you want to hear it or not.
When I was 4 or possibly 5 years old my parents both smoked. (I'm happy to say they both quit many years ago!) I just thought it was one of those things I would start doing when I was old enough. I probably had just started kindergarten and figured I must be ready. So I asked my dad if I could smoke a cigarette. Even though my parents both smoked in the house he took me outside, we stood in the driveway on the north side of the house, and he lit one up and I took a drag.
Wait, I'm thinking here...why did we go outside? Sure, he probably didn't want my mom to see, but what about the neighbors? Oh, well.
I coughed and choked and I don't think I threw up but I don't know why I didn't. And since then I've smoked maybe 5 cigarettes and I can guarantee you I never again inhaled.
So, there you go. I don't recommend it as a way to stop kids from starting the habit. And I don't know how to help you quit if you do smoke. But at least think about it today, okay?
About Me
- Kim
- United States
- Getting older is not for sissies. I'm not a sissy, thank goodness. I'm a physical therapist, mom, daughter, sister, friend, and I am looking forward to "what's next?"
4 comments:
I HAVE heard this as an excellent method for insuring that kids never want to smoke!! I vaguely remember going through the same thing, but can't remember if it was a parent or grandparent who let me have a sickening drag.
I will share the happy coincidence of holidays with my smoking/quit-smoking/took-it-up-again friend, and my other friend who wrote a play about it.
Well, there's a story I had never heard. GOOD FOR TED. That's what we did with Mark when he wanted to "CHEW". Curt Short gave him some really BAD stuff and that was all we ever heard of it too.
Glad we both quit smoking and hate that I ever did.
Charley Short, Kermit's dad gave a chew of tobacco when I was working for him. Never again.
I quit smoking because other people had to smell
my aroma.
Dad did the same thing to me when I was about 4 or 5 and asked to smoke and I choked and gagged too. However, I started smoking at the age of 21 and I have quit and started back so many times...ugh. Wish I could stay "quit".
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