Morning,
We all know one don't we? Actually, I know a few. I'm talking about those people that smoke with their drinks, they'll have a few outside the pub, with the hardened smokers, then... from nowhere, or whilst you're talking addictions, the line inevitably pops out:
"Me? Oh... No, not really, I can take it or leave it, honestly... When I get home for the weekend I don't even think about smoking... "
My own Mother, on paper, shouldn't be alive, being quite the larger lady, a lifelong smoker, drinker, terrible diet, but she has a great disposition that I was always more fond of than say, my Brothers, or Sister. She's very much of the 'if you can't laugh, then you'll only cry' kind of school.
Still smoking.
"So... Mum, you go 3 days without a cigarette?"
"Yep".
"And then... "
"Well... I'll have one if I fancy one."
"Really? Mother... How do you do that?"
"I dunno... Easy, really, just don't have one".
Which will always - and rightly so - have the so - called 'addict' in a state of "Uh?" - ness. Being that these are truly hard a** smokers, both examples I've given here.
Then I think about the Allen Carr line, the one that says the human body, even one that mullers 60 cigarettes a day can sleep for a good 8 hours without waking in a panic, having to have a cigarette. And I think about yesterday, about the fact that after only one day, minus any patch at all, and I'm in control of it.
But - what. is. it?
And how powerful really is this thing? I've heard of smack addicts stealing money for their addicition, I've never heard one isolated incident involving a rabid chain smoking pitbull ripping something's face off for a cigarette.
I mean...
When it really, really, comes down to it.
Life or death.
Are we informed so much from a young age of the addictive property of nicotine that it becomes more addictive in our minds? More scary? More looming? More intimidating? Than it actually is?
Again, yesterday... I felt a twinge every couple of hours or so, but not like picking up the tobacco every half hour twingeing. Just... almost like a reflex, not much though, and absolutely nothing I couldn't handle. I'm not out on the street hanging on to someone's trouser leg threatening to kill him for his smoke.
So I put it out there, that maybe, just maybe, the addiction side is propagated to make the smoker panic more, buy more, get ill more and all because he/she believes this is what should be happening?
There are trace elements of nicotine in tomatoes, in potatoes, but I've never seen anyone asking for a pack of tobacco and "Oh... GImme 2,159 tomatoes, please, Jack... " (Okay, that verges ridicule, but you get my point).
I mean...
We've gone to wars for less, propaganda wise. I wouldn't put it past any Western government. Let's face it, chemo is huge industry... as is the arms race, as is the nicotine industry, the nicotine replacement industry must be H-U-G-E at present, most of all - the industry of fear. Biggest of them all.
Today I feel great. Hardly anything at all.
I'll finish on another, slightly different note. On perception, of yourself as a smoker, by yourself, or by others who do not know you. Here's a guy - this morning, out on my walk, he's stood next to me as I'm telling him I think the dog we're looking at has hair like mid 80's Michael Bolton. He's never met me. Does not know the mini battle playing out in my head regarding nicotine addiction. I tell him nothing.
Obviously he doesn't think I'm a smoker. Stood there, like he is, openly smoking a roll up, wafting it all about me. I choose to keep quiet. (I've happily never coughed openly at any smoker, I think it's a bit rude, unless you're going to stop every car driving down the road as well, it's all chemicals, smoke and tar to me) Thinking, that for 32 years I've been slightly obsessed with being perceived as a 'smoker', like you've earned your stripes, your position in the heirarchy, the archbishop of bulls**t, only for a complete stranger to not even notice.
To see you as an outright non smoker.
It's that easy.
Crazy life, man.
Good day, all!
P
