Today makes ten years since I quit smoking. Ten years!
I wandered online looking for help ten years ago and found becomeanex.org. This site and the folks that wander around its halls made quitting possible for me. Some of the folks from my quit time are still wandering the halls and saying “Howdy!” as we pass each other. It is a comfort and has been such over all these years.
My life was changed by quitting smoking, in so many ways and so many levels:
No more ducking out of shows, meetings and gatherings to grab a smoke when I got jittery.
No more smell of smoke on my clothes.
No more wondering if I smelled like smoke when going back to my seat or desk.
No more getting nervous as my carton of smokes was down to about 4 packs and a storm was headed in.
No more, a lot of things.
If you think you cannot quit, you are mistaken. I started smoking the summer before I took off for college and smoked through until today… ten years ago. I was born in 1955, which adds up to a whole lot of years of smoking.
My parents smoked, their friends smoked and of course, their daughters smoked, too. Two of us a ‘quit,’ the eldest is still puffing away and sports a cough and a nasty rattle in her chest. Phone conversations are difficult as she is always winded and must stopped talking to cough. She tries to hide it and says she has a tickle in her throat. I think she fails to remember that I too, was once a smoker. I know all the sounds and maneuvers to try to cover.
Have a good day yooze guys. Plan your quit and get on with it. You will be glad you did.
