You can make some dang good pulled pork shoulder!
Oh, I mean... the other smoker in the house. Relationships of any sort (siblings, parents, roommates, best friends, husband, wife, significant other, older children) Any of these can be the other smoker in the house.
Nothing to do with smoking but sometimes communication between people can be off track a bit, (I'll say black, she'll hear white, I'll see red, awww forget about it let's go to bed.) Another unresolved issue. These can do nothing but build up over the years, and we live with them. UNTIL WE STOP SMOKING! OMG, The blame game and fireworks start lighting up the house.
Advantage #1 (ACCEPTANCE) Learning that we still have to live with all the perceived injustices we lived with when we were smoking. Nothing has changed because I chose to quit smoking, not the other smoker.This acceptance is an advantage because it gives me strength and understanding I didn't know I had.
My wife and I have tried quitting smoking "together" many times. Through these many processes, there were all the rules for the other smoker. Outside or on the porch, No ash trays in the living room, No borrowing cigarettes from the other, Game and scoring challenges to reward who smoked the less, washing ashtrays after each cigarette, only smoking at a specific time......... And then after all these weaning processes...... our quit date is upon us. One of us breaks over time and because we did it together the other usually breaks also, Always saying the same thing..... We'll try again, we did good.
Advantage #2 (COMPASSION) Realizing that this is MY QUIT! I OWN THIS AND YOU STAY AWAY, THIS IS MINE. When I realized this was mine and not, "ours" I became more protective of it and at the same time more compassionate towards the other smoker because they didn't own their own quit yet. We all know how hard it is to "Just to want to quit" never mind quitting. How can we not feel for the other smoker?
Advantage #3 (SOCIAL INTERACTION) #1 AND #2 are real good benefits of living with the other smoker but #3 is pretty awesome too. The other smoker smokes during some of my favorite activities throughout the day but I'm glad I got my own quit going on. So when I go to activities away from my house that involve a lot of smokers, I'm already use to it and do not feel the need to alienate myself. My vehicles still smell like ashtrays.... it kind of sucks but now when I get into other peoples cars that smoke, it's no big deal. It allows me to be more social and less judgmental.
Advantage #4 (I'M A NON-SMOKER) I'm a non-smoker living peacefully with the other smoker. I am no longer a smoker living with another smoker.
NOTE: Small children, babies, the elderly, COPD or other illnesses are ALL REASONS for the other smoker to change their habits, It's no reason for a quitter to lose THEIR QUIT!
