Gimme A Brag Instead Of A Drag!

Today almost went by unnoticed and unheralded by yours truly. I've been up to my armpits in volunteer stuff AGAIN as well as holding early voting for my utility district's bond election in my garage. What nearly went by me was that TODAY is my 15th anniversary quitting cigarettes! Yea me!

15 years ago I slapped on the largest patch they made to quit the nasty habit and it and some willpower did the trick. I'd quit once before for over a year and picked it right back up like I'd never walked away so I was wise to the ways of the cravings and just like the AA crowd I knew if I smoked even one I'd be doomed to fail again. I recognize that my personality is clearly susceptible to addictions. When I ate I ate large. When I smoked I smoked large. I buy too much when I shop. Compulsive is my middle name. All my emotions are just under the skin, right up near the surface just waiting to bust out and greet the situation....I cry, I laugh, I feel deeply and often. I also take a prescribed drug daily to keep most of that in check. And clearly this is TIA to share with the world at large, but I'm feeling successful and expansive tonight.

I might of kicked the weed but damn if I don't STILL crave a butt from time to time. THAT'S the part that just kills you. The brain remembers the joy long after the lungs have forgotten the wheeze! It's no wonder how difficult it is to stop something you brain thinks is cool!

I gained weight after I quit. It's pretty much a fact of life that you have to stick something in your mouth. Most folks don't want the weight gain so they rationalize the need for the addiction. Being obese will kill you. Being addicted to cigs will kill you too. LOTS of things will kill you. I wasn't really worried about that...what worried me is not dying, but living to drag oxygen on wheels around everywhere I went. Plus it's too damned expensive to smoke. Screw that sin tax stuff! I'd rather spend my money on computers or CDs or vacations.

Okay, okay, I'll jump down off my soapbox now. No one knows better than me that you can't make someone do anything they don't damn well want to do. I guess the whole point of this post is that you can do it if you want to. For real, if *I* can quit cigarettes and lose weight so can you. Do it for yourself or not because life is too short to not do what's best for you.