MY "HOW I FINALLY KICKED THE CIGARETTE HABIT" BLOG

MY "HOW I FINALLY KICKED THE CIGARETTE HABIT" BLOG!

I WAS BORN IN 1961, SO BASICALLY, I WAS PRE-DESTINED TO BE A LIFELONG SMOKER, BEING THAT BOTH PARENTS SMOKED,, THEIR PARENTS SMOKED, AND SO ON, ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE 'OLD COUNTRY'!

EVERY PICTURE I HAVE SEEN OF MY PARENTS FROM BACK IN THE EARLY 1960'S HAS THEM HOLDING A CIGARETTE! SMOKING CIGARETTES WAS HUGE BACK THEN, AND EVERYONE SMOKED, INCLUDING US KIDS, FROM BEING AROUND THESE 'WALKING CHIMNEY'S',, WHETHER WE WERE EXPOSED TO SECOND HAND SMOKE IN THE HOUSE, OR SUFFOCATED IN THE CAR! HELL, I REMEMBER WATCHING 'THE TWILIGHT ZONE', AND WATCHING ROD SERLING EXPLAINING THE PLOT OF THE EPISODE, AND HE ALWAYS HAD A CIGARETTE IN HIS HAND, AND I USED TO THINK, 'WOW, HE COULDN'T EVEN STAND IN FRONT OF A CAMERA FOR 30 SECONDS WITHOUT SMOKING'!

SO, AS A RESULT, ONE HOT SUMMER NIGHT, AT THE AGE OF 13, WHILE HANGING OUT WITH SOME FRIENDS, WE ALL DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR OUR 'PASSAGE TO MANHOOD', WHICH NATURALLY WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE COMPETITION WE ALL HAD TO LOSE OUR VIRGINITY,,, AND ONE GUY LIT UP A CIGARETTE HE HAD SWIPED FROM HIS FATHER.

WE PASSED THAT CIGARETTE FROM ONE GUY TO ANOTHER, AND WHEN IT CAME TO ME, I DIDN'T HESITATE TO DRAG A PUFF ON IT, ONLY TO IMMEDIATELY GO INTO