I just pledged not to smoke for today and snarkily noted that there was a smoker in the other room coughing like she does all day most days. I realized after I hit submit that it probably wasn't a nice thing for me to type, but it was bugging me and now it's not. When I hear people cough and see them continue to smoke, I just want to grab them and shake them and ask them to cut it out. I won't do that, though. I don't want to get slugged.
Yesterday, I had occasion to drive behind a Cracker Barrel restaurant to exit the parking lot. Sure enough, there were people out back smoking. Probably employees. When I went from smoking inside at work to smoking in designated areas at work to smoking outside at work to no smoking at work at all.... didn't I see the progression to pariah in there? Don't people see it now? Why did I or does anyone want to have to go stand outside and have everyone see me doing that just to smoke?
I went to a yard sale recently and there was a woman smoking by her car as her probable husband looked around. Again with the separation. I did this too. I smoked, knowing that others would be offended, staying apart from the group. What a hold that cigarette has on us.
When my kids were little, people smoked in public. I took them to the fireworks one year, put out the blanket, and proceeded to light up. A mother on a blanket in front of us turned around and asked me to please not smoke. I put it out and didn't light up again. I didn't smoke because she didn't want it around her child, not because I didn't want it around my children. Hell of an addiction.
Those are just a few of the random little things that cross my mind from time to time when it comes to my smoking and the current smoking habits one has to have to keep it up.
Donna
Day 168
