Karen's Quit Story

I am proud to say that I have enough experience with life to have learned how to cherish life's little miracles with the same enthusiasm as I do the large.

A miracle, defined in the dictionary as something that defies scientific laws, an event or act that challenges logic, is exactly what I am living.

Today I celebrate the miracle of being a healthy non-smoker. I have accomplished no other deed that compares to this. No other achievement in my life touches the hem of gaining and retaining my life back from the world of the "Smoking section".

There are many many roads to becoming an ex-smoker. Mine was not the straight and narrow nor was my trip the "shortest distance between two points". I took the long way around. Why?, blurred vision, inability to make a commitment?, or plain laziness?. All of the above, plus 3 or 4 less logical excuses assisted my reasoning, which allowed me to continue smoking when I knew that there was no good thing about it.

I won't dwell on my past smoking experiences. I've given enough of my life to a cause whose only return has robbed me of the quality and quantity of time that I may have to spend with my loved ones.

I will clarify, subjectively, the advantages of becoming and remaining a non-smoker.

Children
Anyone that has, loves or wants a child would do himself or herself a huge favor of not smoking. The impression that you make on children by what you do or, more important, don't do is more than you know.

Health
Your health will make or break you, literally. No matter how many old people you see smoking, you will never live to your expectant age if you continue to tell yourself that not every smoker dies early from cancer. The age that you do live to see will not be comfortable or enjoyable.

Time
I once read that smokers are better managers of time than non-smokers. So, I prided myself on being able to plan my next cigarette break before I even finished my current cigarette break, being able to remember to stop between destinations to restock. Progressive? Psychic? Neither, and anyone who still believes that they need a cigarette(a depressant), to figure out life's problems are not using the full capacity of their brain to start with.

Cost
A two-edged sword. I had convinced myself that $3.25 was not a lot to pay for my habit. I never asked anyone to purchase my cigarettes, and it was a small amount when you consider that other ILLEGAL drugs were much more. I work every day, and I am worth a mere $3.25, right? Right, but my life is worth more than that. Plus, I really do notice those extra bills in my pocket.

Smell
I can only laugh at my attempt to conceal the smell of smoke in my hair, clothes, skin, car, house, and mouth. I can now smell smoke from a block away. About the same distance that non-smokers smelt me from, no matter how sweet the perfume, gum or air freshener I used to carry with me at all times.

Making the decision to stop smoking has nothing to do with remaining a non-smoker. Ask any smoker about quitting. It's not the hard part. Remaining a quitter is more than a notion.

A small miracle or a large miracle? I cannot say. I do know that after exhausting all my natural powers, I kept praying for assistance to conquer a habit that half the world considers to be normal and the other half knows by it's true name: an addiction that causes cancer, emphysema, pain, and early death.