I grew up 5 blocks from the ocean. I would spend 10 hours a day bodysurfing on the South side of the pier. I used to love the smell of a cigarette wafting on the breeze. My head would lift up everytime I smelled it to see har far away it was. I most likely still would except there is no smoking on the beach. I don't feel that liking that smell is a betrayal of or a risk to my quit. I liked the smell 11 years before I began smoking and it had no bearing on my starting smoking.
So what got me started?
When I was in high school, our music department got an invitation to send it's two best singers to audition for a group in Los Angeles. I auditioned and was accepted but the competition was great. They had 36 spots and 150 people competing for them on a weekly basis.
I was going to high school full time and traveling 100 miles each way 3 or 4 times a week to rehearsal in Los Angeles getting home by midnight or later most nights. We would get a break every couple hours and I found myself with the "cool people" smoking on the steps outside. I didn't stop for 40 years.
We will all have memories connected to smoking, so what? We don't do that anymore.
Quality Of Life
Quitting smoking is about quality of life. It's about not having your entire life ruled by smoking. People who are still smoking won't understand.
Consider our friend Betty who has lung cancer. She doesn't regret quitting smoking. She doesn't feel like she gave anything up once she found freedom. Why? Because her quality of life has been better since she quit. Yes we might pay with with some malady caused by or related to smoking but today is today, no regrets.
Live it the best you can!
