That was a very thought provoking post, Tom. Here is how I handle the good memories of smoking.
Oh yes, those fond memories from a distance..the beautiful spring mornings, sitting on the patio with the newspaper, a nice hot cup of coffee and 18 MILLION cigarettes! It was a fond memory until I realized that I could not have just one. It is the enslavement to the nasty little weed that my mind goes back to. I was a slave to nicotine. It did not add to nice moments. It was something that we had to have, or we would be uncomfortable.
And, I can not go back to being a slave.
new me
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 5/26/2007 Smoke-Free Days: 413 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 10,325 Amount Saved: $2,581.25 Life Gained: Days: 57 Hrs: 14 Mins: 54 Seconds: 27
Hi Tom its good to see you here, SSC Classic for sure, good stuff here. I know it was very hard for me to quit also, thought my life was over without my smokes, took me awhile to really appreciate not smoking, so many times i wanted to give in, but as the years go by i see more and more benifits of my quit health wise and many other ways and iam just glad i made it, its easy to quit , the hard part is staying quit, that was what i found out. Hang Tough everyone :) Tresa
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 8/8/2002 Smoke-Free Days: 2119 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 50,856 Amount Saved: $8,899.80 Life Gained: Days: 302 Hrs: 22 Mins: 58 Seconds: 41
Wonderful post, thank you for putting so much of yourself into the writing of that one. Your words tell the story of loss, the experience of the void and the nature of rebirth in a very touching manner. This will resonate with a great many people as it is, in essence, the story of human existence.
nonic
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 12/25/2006 Smoke-Free Days: 515 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 15,450 Amount Saved: $5,407.50 Life Gained: Days: 95 Hrs: 23 Mins: 27 Seconds: 6
I used to think I really enjoyed smoking.
It was a year or so before my quit that it started to sink in that I
was so caught up in the addiction I wasn't capable of knowing how to
enjoy not smoking. I was too afraid I would upset the addiction
if I even tried not to smoke. I am so glad I started my quit and
found out that I am actually quite a bit happier without
cigarettes. That really surprised me. I'm not ready to say
my quit is locked in but I know I can never go back to that life of
denial and lying to myself.
It's a journey and I'm well on my way.
Thanks for the moment of reflection.
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 1/26/2008 Smoke-Free Days: 117 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 1,287 Amount Saved: $566.28 Life Gained: Days: 13 Hrs: 19 Mins: 45 Seconds: 58
Tom, I really think this is an excellent post. I have changed since I quit smoking. My thought process is changing constantly, all for the better I like to think. I read every word and it made a lot of sense to me. I can look back at certain times that I smoked and remember them with fondness, perhaps for the situation and not the smokes themselves. I couldn't imagine myself smoking any more. It just doesn't fit. Doesn't mean its always easy right now, but its nice to know that smoking is no longer a part of my life. As Jim says..."Classic posts like this really allowed me to get to the point of no return!" That's where I think I am now. Great posts and great support!
Cheers,
Jan
My Milage:
My Quit Date: 1/27/2008 Smoke-Free Days: 115 Cigarettes Not Smoked: 2,875 Amount Saved: $948.75 Life Gained: Days: 13 Hrs: 3 Mins: 59 Seconds: 5
