How I started smoking....
I was very well educated about the ill effects of smoking when I first started. And, I have moderate to severe asthma, which my parents assured me that I could never even conceive of smoking. It was unthinkable for me to smoke.
Before I was ever a smoker, I saw very clearly the mindlessness of smoking. All of these people, mindlessly taking puff after puff, not even conscious of it, not even savoring any of it. I even asked some smokers if they enjoyed it. "Not really. I wish I could quit" seemed to be the universal response. Based on all of this, I had a certain attitude towards smokers....I judged them in my mind to be either stupid or weak-willed. Something must be wrong with these people, I thought.
Apparently I was destined to learn a lesson here, because I eventually picked up the habit. The best way I can explain it is to blame alcohol. Yep, cigarettes seem like a worthwhile experiment when you're drunk. So I smoked heavily and daily for ten years straight.
I quit smoking 1 year, 2 months, and 22 days ago. The lesson I learned is this: don't turn up your nose at other people the way that I did. Be compassionate. Any one of us is a potential addict--whether the addiction is nicotine, drugs, alcohol, sex, or whatever. I thought I was "above" those stupid smokers....until I became one.
We are all human. Try to be helpful. Be compassionate.
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