The end of an era

I was told recently by my Dentist that my smoking habit needed to end. It seems the last pleasure of my misspent youth is now actually harming me. What a shock, cigarettes are harmful to your health, thanks for the update doc. To be honest I have heard the " Quit Smoking" routine a few times before from various doctors, nurses, busy bodies, and randoms who feel the need to save me from myself. Thank God they are all out there eh? Generally when someone says to me " smoking is bad for your health" I take it in stride and brush them off with a simple; " so is talking to strangers." or something of the sort. I have found that those people who feel the need to save me from myself, are simply parrots. There is nothing new with the information they spew forth in self righteous moments. They really could care less if I live or die so lets be honest, it is not from actual concern for my well being that they assault me with their opinion. No, these parrots are simply attempting to assert some sort of Moral superiority over me for their own self gratification. The sad thing is, we as a society have made this an acceptable form of behavior. Smokers are considered " Less than" and are discriminated against on a daily basis. It's OK to be rude to a smoker right? It is for their own good after all......



It is the above attitude that has kept me from quitting all these years. Alas, the time has come for me to finally give up my beloved Camels. I had Dental surgery this Friday last and the surgeon suggested I quit for good. Normally I would have told him to just do his job and leave off the sermon, but for the first time in 20 years, I actually heard REASON, in the voice telling me to quit. Using intelligence and medical knowledge my doctor presented to me why I should quit now. NO vague " it causes cancer" or " what about the children? " crap. A wonderful change to say the least. I have had but one Cigarette in 3 days and it looks like I will be smoke free soon. I will miss my companion of these many years, but like the poet said " all good things must come to an end". And so too does this blissful, addiction.



The reason I am writing this all down is not for myself, no, I know what I think and feel. This is for all of you who urged me to quit so many times over so many years. This is so you know that in no way, shape or form did you influence my decision, that your self righteous posing had the opposite effect completely. So before you go prancing about praising your superior moral standing, realize that you did nothing and therefore have nothing to feel proud of. Simply put, Piss Off.

Cheers
Blighter