Music and more with claudecat17 (aka Chris Davlin)!

There. Have I shocked you? Do you think saying that in public is wrong? Even if the “in public” is here, where a couple views per day seems to be the norm.

Well, too bad, bub, because it’s the truth. I was in the middle of a Cheyenne menthol (the best part, and more on those later) earlier today when it dawned on me again that I really do enjoy the shit out of smoking. I think I even said it out loud, in those words. What more can I say? I enjoy the sensation of mentholated tobacco smoke filling my lungs just the right way. It’s fun, plus there are the chemical/medical benefits. You somehow get both relaxed and energized by a smoke, right? I do, and it seems contradictory but it’s true. Every smoker agrees with me I’d assume. So that’s part of it too, a big part. A part that likely is tied up with the whole being insanely addictive thing.

Anyone who’s been addicted to anything substance-wise is still a smoker, or 99.999%. It’s crazy how hard it is to quit, and even if you do, the inevitable reunion is so sweet that you swear never to stop again. This cycle repeats until you either quit for real or you admit to yourself that no matter how bad they are for you they’re always there for you in times of stress or fun or eating or talking or… It’s your buddy! Your little island of time away from anyone that can’t stand smoke, which happens to overlap with giant groups of annoying people, The benefits of smoking must be considered if we’re going to freak out every time little Mason sees someone in a movie fondling a small white tube that’s on fire.

People today are always shocked when I talk about how people smoked everywhere back when I started in the 70s. In the supermarket, in restaurants, on planes, on buses, even in schools, where in my high school there was an entire courtyard area, outdoors, near the cafeteria, for use by the dozens and dozens of under-18 smokers currently enrolled. It was where the cool kids hung out, and I was desperately trying to be cool as a relative newcomer to all these new to me kids, still mostly friendless and awkward beyond belief. If smoking was gonna help, I was more than on board.

I mean, a pack of smokes was 55 cents back then! Same as a Big Mac, and that’s just about true even today. A pack of cigarettes is crazy expensive though, and the proof lies in the pricing for what I smoke, those Cheyenne menthols, which are technically cigars and therefore exempt from the several layers of taxation they put on cigarettes. I get ’em for 3 bucks a pack, less than a third of the cost of my old cheapo cigarette brand even using a coupon.

It was a real happy day when I discovered the Cheyennes. It was a cashier at Wawa that told me about them, so I tried them, loved ’em right away, and haven’t looked back. It’s probably saved me over a grand since, probably a few. I have mixed feelings about this taxation thing. It’s great for discouraging new smokers, but what if you’re already hooked and don’t know about the cigars that taste exactly the same? You’re fucked is what – spending a lot of unnecessary money that could have paid for food or medicine or other “medicine”. It’s punitive to the poor working class, big time. The money spent on Newports alone per day in my predominantly white county has to be substantial, to put it mildly!

Where does that money go? It should still be in the pockets of the folks that worked hard for it, who don’t need the tax to know they shouldn’t be smoking. That’s the problem right there. It’s rough any time poor folks are paying more tax than they should, but when it’s a tax on something that isn’t a choice or a luxury but a daily necessity, that gets ethically troublesome.

Me? I’m definitely addicted, and happily so. I know I’ll never quit unless something drastic happens. Coma for example. Short of that I’ll be outside in the hospital parking lot lighting up a Cheyenne whenever they let me.

But I do make an effort to not affect others with my own habits. I’ve turned a bedroom closet I wasn’t using into my little smoking and music listening refuge. I have everything I need in there and then some, including a startling number of air fresheners of all kinds. I’m talking in the multiple dozens… Smells great in there even if I were to smoke 2-3 at a time or chain smoke for an hour or two. Three air purifiers in there too, so it’s a constant battle between cleaners and smelly things in the air.

And home is really the only place I smoke, except in the car occasionally. Long trips will cause me to smoke more as I make the drive, but just running around doing errands close to home I generally don’t smoke.

Can’t think of much more to say on this. I smoke. I like it. A lot. I’m not gonna stop. Ever. Well, I will, but I’d rather not think about that in much detail. All I know is that the way I’ve lived I’m already working with house money at 65. It’s all gravy from here, and I’m gonna enjoy myself until I can’t, period.

I’d love to hear in the comments from other proud unrepentant smokers, or anyone that genuinely enjoys the smoking experience. When I was still working shit jobs it was always fun to figure out the smoking policy, where to go, who to meet, etc. It’s a great way to get a leg up on fellow potential hires, as the smokers are often lifers with good advice.

I was gonna include a tune germane to the topic today, the obvious choice being “Smoke Smoke That Cigarette”, but I can’t think of another one that fits. I invite you to post your ideas on that below as well.

That’s it! There’ll still be the daily tune thing, just a bit later than usual. So relax! Both of you!

Thanks for reading and please, tell a friend! All are welcome! Even your friends!