I am so grateful for my quit . It is the one thing right now and day to day that I have control over.
I've seen the damage smoking can do to those went before me .... those who didn't yet see what the consequences would hold for them by smoking .
In the early days there was no warning signs alerting people to the dangers.
Later they were forced to put the warning signs on the packages .
It was our own responsibility to see or be blind , to hear or be deaf , to touch or not touch , to smell or not smell , to smoke or not smoke .
One puff led most of us to being full time users .
Most of us didn't heed the warning signs .
They spoke the truth .
We chose our own path by not reading those warnings . We covered up the truth.
We covered up the truth by making our own packaging to hide the gory details or put them in pretty carrying cases. I used those cases for exactly that reason . It put my hands over my eyes and my ears to the truth .
Cigarettes kill they said .
Cigarettes causes CANCER they said .
Cigarettes can harm your unborn child they reminded us and can cause COPD .
Cigarettes can cause you to lose limbs . That was the written word , and all the pictures were there to prove it . Pictures of loved ones beside loved ones, ventilators , hospital beds and people dying .
Pictures ; yes pictures .
True testimony from people who wanted to send us a message and what did we do ?
We idolized our cigarettes and continued to smoke and put them first , over the families who cared about us enough to give us the truth about what cigarettes were doing to their loved ones .
For the longest time I too ignored the truth , I'm guilty . It was almost too late for me when I decided I better face denial or I'm going to die , but I was given one last chance . I'm so grateful .
Denial holds us captive bitter and angry and alone . Truth sets us free .
Warnings continue to be put on cigarette packaging for a reason . Warnings are there to educate us about the truth and the danger .
Warnings serve a purpose .
They are there to educate us about the risks and the dangers of consuming cigarettes , nicotene and tar .
They are there because the creators of them knew that being misused could have dire health consequences .
The choice then is ours .
Take it or leave it .
Life or death .
Our choice .
Maki
