Smokin!

[Marco]

I recall that my favorite time to "light up" would be midstream on a cool crisp morning with sun rays filtering through the tall pines. When I exhaled a puff of smoke, it would fill the air around me. Remembering moments like that made me postpone quitting many times back then.
I am now a NON smoker and NOT an ANTI smoker. I firmly believe that smokers have rights as I do. I make choices rather than seek confrontations. If I invite you to my home, I invite your vices also. If you feel you want to smoke in my home I have no problem with that BUT I assume you will use some discretion.
Having said all that, I quit smoking on February 6, 1979 at 2:30 PM,Cold *** Turkey. Cigarettes were only $0.47 cents a pack ( hardly a dent). The reason I remember the exact circumstances is because I knew it would be a tough row to hoe and IF I was successful I wanted to keep that date as a fortification for my resolve.
Personally, I quit for fear of future health consequences.I'm curious as to the current general attitude of smokers especially with the rising costs and recent news.If you quit, how long have you been "off"? If you smoke,do you intend to quit and for what reason ( price or health or?) ? If you've never smoked, your attitude toward smoking?
I fully realize this is a provocative subject SO: If your neck veins swell while typing a response, delete same and go on to other " stuff".

Mark
PS: Anticipating the " Whats the purpose of posting this topic?" question. The answer is : Maybe bringing it to the forefront will help someone make choices they have thought about. And maybe not.

[This message has been edited by Marco (edited 12 August 2005).]

[Gardenfish]

I see folks smoking while they fish and can just imagine the end of that cigaret accidently touching a $60.00 fly line or burning a hole in a nice vest.

I quit on a New Year's resolution in 1973.

[biot midge]

Marco,
I am a long time smoker, currently have a 2 pack a day habit. My stop smoking date is coming up in a little over a week. My doctor prescribed Wellbutrin since it worked for my wife. The main reason I'm quitting is because it's bad for my health, but it will be nice to have all the money that I waste on cigarettes to spend on other things.
Steve

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"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went"-Will Rogers

[sacfisher]

I have never smoked but grew up in a hoesehold where my mother smoked. I only saw it as second nature then. Now I see it in a different light. I really can't stand being around someone who smokes or the smell of it on there clothes. Nor do I like to enter a household where the people smoke in the house. I also do not like it when people who smoke stand outside of a building where smoking is not allowed and smoke right in front of the door. Don't get me wrong, I think you should decide to do whatever you want with your body. I don't however think that you shold subject other people to your vices.
For instace, I don't "break wind" in other peoples houses if I can help it. I know that it may be different than smoking, but it's along the same lines. I think it is just polite to think of others when lighting up or doing any other thing that could directly affect someone.
I am not against smoking, just bad manners.

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That being said.... Lets fish.

[Grn Mt Man]

Never smoked much; but, quit summer of 1969. Was trying to shingle the roof of a small shelter on our small campsite lot for two days in 95+ degree weather. Lighting one after the other cigarettes to keep the danged #$%^&*($ gnats away and suddenly felt a mite woozy. Came down and wife said I was "green at the gills"; so, after some liquid replacement, walked to the small feeder stream near the river, reached into my shirt pocket, crumpled up the half pack of cigarettes and quit cold turkey. Thirty-six years ago this past July! Not so easy for the wife. She quit three times; once for three years, once for one year and finally for good when one of our kids asked her why she smoked etc. She quit in 1988.

[billknepp]

I've been smoking for longer than I care to admit,Mostly cause I don't want it to seem as thoe I condone underage smokeing..I Don't..Wish my father had kicked my butt way back when,But he did not.

I'd not allow any of my kids to ever start smoking, After 27 years of smoking,Except for a 5 month period in which I once had quit.I find it very hard to find the right mindset to even attempt it again.

But with a new baby coming very soon,Sunday they are going to induce labor of my first off spring,three weeks early at that. Not to mention the three Lil ones we have running around this room at this moment.

For their sake as well as what it might be doing to my health. I'd like to give up this habit,but even these reason's are not making what I know to be one of the hardest things to quit, any easier...I know I have to want this for me....or it'll not work..Till I find the right mindset...I will do this,as I know I can..or I'd not have done it before.Well we are getting some pretty good lightining...so tata for now....

Marco, I did it cold turkey,Only way to truely confront the things that make you want to do it in the first place...Now if i could just bring myself to one last try !

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"I've often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before" A.K.Best

"Wish ya great fishing"

Bill




[This message has been edited by billknepp (edited 13 August 2005).]

[qrrfish1]

If you dont wish to tolerate smokers, so be it. But I expect thoes that are concerned to take what ever personal resposiblity is involved to avioid them. Dont go to places were smokers are. Dont go to homes, resturants, building, sidewalks, streams, parking lots, or other grathering places were people of different habits may congurate. It simply is not a smokers responsabilty to know the personal tolerance level of every person that may come into contact with them. I realize that its very much in vogue these days to shrug off responsibility and cede rights to the government for personal convience Understand that sooner than you may think, it will come to your door step and beyond.

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Captn. Paul Darby

[ohiotuber]

I quit for awhile many years ago, didn't fight the urges & started back. I have a VERY high pain tolerance & this February, I sat at my desk just "knowing" by the chest pain, that I was having heart attacks. That Sunday, to everyones' surprise, I took myself to the urgent care center. I had a flu that settled in my respiratory system & the Doctor said most smokers ended up in the hospital with pneumonia with it. I did not, but had to use a damned prescription inhaler for a week or so. That visit resulted in the following:
--Quit smoking "cold turkey" THAT day (2/25/05) as I was NOT going to have to use an inhaler again! Interesting that I have had NO urges to smoke since....the power of fear, hunh?
--I should be ashamed of myself, but I scheduled my 1st physical in 19 years (I'm 5! Doc was stunned..blood pressure 97 over 63, cholesterol, etc all good, prostate not enlarged at all, colonoscopy clear. I have never had a surgery or worn a cast. I told him I didn't want to hear a WORD about eating "healthy" & his response was..."I'd be crazy to suggest a change, and you'd refuse anyway!"
BTW, I also feel smokers have as much right to smoke as I have not to. It bothers me the number of laws & proposals there are to completely ban smoking in cities. Industry, motorized vehicles, etc would be more hazardous, IMHO.
Mike

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"I've HAD muh say!".....
George MacMichael from The Real Mccoys

[Marco]

Great smoking stories and tribulations
What I forgot to add/ask and it was mentioned in posts above anyway is : If you have quit, HOW did you do it?

Mark

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I'd rather be in Wyoming!




[This message has been edited by Marco (edited 12 August 2005).]

I have been smoke free since the first of May. The rising price of gas helped out since I travel quite a bit to help a buddy teach a youth tying/casting club. The extra cash I have from not buying smokes helps go a long way on extra fill-ups. I quit cold turkey which I know isn't the best way to go. It helped allot to see my grandson walking through my son's house with a smoke in his hand he dug out from my son's pack. Seeing those big blue eyes of a 6, 2 and 1 year old made it really easy, too. Realizing what I could miss out on with them scared me.


Mike

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There is no greater fan of flyfishing than the worm.


Patrick McManus



[This message has been edited by maddog48 (edited 12 August 2005).]