I am so excited that I have made it all these days and have not been having a bad time with filling my hours or keeping busy and when a craving sneaks up I just think about the horrible taste..the smell..the ritual of cleaning off the stink to just go to the store or to someone's house...even to go and bring a neighbor something..".where are the mints...do I have time to wash my face, brush my teeth..should I just brush my hair and spray a little hair spray or should I just use a spritz of perfume.".by the time I "got ready" I could have been done with whatever I was going to do...and I could have been back from where ever I was going!!! I love grabbing my wallet and keys and just getting in the car...the freedom is so great..
.I went into a really nice clothes store last night and someone walked past me, a very elegant lady, dressed so beautifully and the smell of the cigarette she must have just put out made me so sad for her...She cared about her appearance...but not about the inside of her body...glowing face, perfectly shiny hair, nice manicure, lovely outfit and classy shoes and bag..but when I thought about how her throat felt, her lungs looked, and pictured her like those horrible (and to me offensive) commercials of someone in a wheelchair, with a breathing machine and so thin and sickly and hacking and choking : advertising what smoking does to you...I want to just print out card and hand them out without being rude to just let people know that you can have your life back...you can be free and be even more beautiful inside and out and give yourself a chance at life again...I will never ever be the ex smoker to confront people and warn everyone I know , of the" <<<<evils of smoking>>>>>"...so many well meaning people have done that to me over the 47 years I smoked and all it did was make me lose their friendship, and avoid their company....it was embarrassing to be "called out" about what I was doing...smoking...but I still feel that is NOT the way to lead others to a solution to gain freedom from addiction...of nicotine or any other substance!
WE are people who want to quit smoking and we are people who smoked BUT we are sweet loving intelligent considerate human beings who are not your children or beneath you..so don't tell me what I should and should not do...by confronting someone who smokes with a lecture you are being rude..you are hurting their feelings, and you have no right to demean someone....and when you pass by someone who is smoking DON'T start waving your hands around and announce how it is "making your gag"...walk out of your way and cross the street, or keep your thoughts to yourself...I have never seen a person smoking who will go right up to a non smoker and blow smoke in their faces....and I'm old....lol...If you want you can print this out and pass it the mean people who always have a comment about how "you should have quit years ago...you should have never started....and all the other judgemental wisdoms they can't wait to pass onto you.....WE know who we are..we are strong..so what we made a bad decision...made a bad choice...and kept buying something that was hurting us......BUT...NOW we are trying to turn things around...become even more free and strong...and better to ourselves...so support us..let us know you are happy that we have NOT smoked for 1 day or 523 days or 7 years, when you want to make a comment... "awesome!!!!!!!!" ....goes a long way
and {{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}} are the best way to send a smile !
Keep breathing in that clean fresh air...go outside just for a minute and take a long deep breath and enjoy that you can do that and not cough!!! I do it 50 times a day and always crack a smile!!!
{{{{HUGS}}}}} Barbara in SC (Schoney50)
