By now I'm sure most of you are familiar with me as an active forum member. I love 2 stroke motorcycles! I love riding, racing, working on and drooling over others sweet 2 stroke off-road/mx bikes.
This sport is the most physically demanding sport on the planet.
And I am a smoker. Not a proud smoker, an addict of a product that was literally forced down my throat during my youth.
I was born in the early 70's, when cigarettes were advertised on television commercials as much as McDonald's Restaraunts are today. Everyone "cool" on TV smoked, Hell everyone smoked.
There were smoking areas at my middle school and high school. There was Joe Camel, and the Camel Supercross, the Marlboro Man, I'm sure you "crusters" remember, I'm just setting the scene for our younger Forum members.
I started smoking at 13, and by the time I was 16 I was smoking a pack a day. I knew the risks, I saw the pictures of black and cancerous lungs. But it was cool and sophisticated, and I was, as many are, a stupid teenager, and in a big hurry to be an adult. I have now been a smoker for 25 years, and although I have made many , many attempts to quit, have failed every time. On New Years Day, I decided to quit again, this time for good. I didn't smoke for 3 days, cold turkey. I was a nervous wreck, I decided that could reward myself with a small cigar for my progress, man that was the best 75 cent cigar I ever had, by the end of the week I was smoking 3 a day, which, compared to my 2 pack a day cigarette habit was small change. I still wanted to break the addiction which lead me to the cigars, I called the Florida Quit Line, and talked with a counseler, decided on the Nicotine lozenges, and set my quit date. The package arrived and I didn't buy anymore cigars, for a couple of weeks. I bought a pack of cigarettes one day after forgetting to take my lozenges. A week later I am still smoking, albiet, 3 packs a week, as opposed to 2 packs a day. And using the lozenges to take the edge off of the cravings.
Truth be told, I am proud that I have cut my Nicotine intake down to a 1/4 of what it was, I feel better, I'm not waking up coughing up golf ball sized chunks of phlem anymore. But, I am still addicted. And it sucks.
I have on smoke left in this pack, I will not buy a pack today.
I will not buy a pack tomorrow.
I will break this stupid addiction.
And I will kick you in the ass if I see your stupid teenage ass light up that first cigarette. (Directed towards my kids, but will be glad to boot yours too, if given permission too if you aren't there to do it yourself)
If you're a kid and reading this, it's really not worth it, NO ONE thinks it's cool anymore.
