From The Past: December 9, 2008

In regards to my post yesterday about smoking:

* I smoked for 15 years and quit. I was up to two packs a day at the time.

* Kevin smoked for 12 years and quit.

* My Dad smoked for 30 years and would smoke 3 packs during a 10-hour shift before his heart attack.

* My friend, Cloyd smoked for 57 years. He went through a Smoking Cessation Program at the Health Department and quit smoking January 16th of this year. In my opinion, he looks better than he ever has!

Quitting smoking was indeed the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but I don’t regret it. Even if I wanted to smoke, which I don’t, I don’t believe I could afford it now.

It’s a shame when people claim they do not have money to put gas in their cars, but they can sure afford those cigarettes! It is also a shame when people will not buy adequate groceries, but they buy cigarettes! They cannot manage to pay for their families needs, but they can for darn sure pay for those cigarettes! They can’t go on vacation because of money, but they can afford those cigarettes!

It also makes me nauseous when, in the past, I have visited Mom at the Markey Cancer Center and people have wheeled their loved ones who are patients out in wheelchairs so they can smoke!  What these people are doing is deplorable and their families are enablers.

I look back now on Andrew and Ashley’s childhood and wish I had not smoked around them. They were two precious babies who had soft, new skin and smelled so wonderful and Kevin and I would light up a Winston. I now realize that even though the church people may not have witnessed us smoking, they knew we smoked because the smell was all over us. It’s a wonder anyone wanted to sit near us.

But, I digress. My point is this; if Cloyd can quit after a whopping 57 years, if my Dad can quit after 30 years – ANYONE can quit. You can quit today.

It’s just like exercise: it takes motivation, dedication, and determination.