February 07, 2006

On not smoking.....

I used to smoke. Sometimes socially, sometimes like a diner waitress on her second shift. And yes, it has been a long time since then, 5 years at least.

But it's cold and nippy outside and crispy winter weather makes me miss smoking. The winter just makes me twang for the memory of a menthol cigarette resting in my hand. The way the smoke curls around you in the crisp winter air, the stillness of the night as you wait outside a door somewhere.

I miss clove cigarettes and imported cigarettes in colorful papers with their smart, sexy boxes, tissue between the layers. There was something exotic about opening those square boxes, for a moment you're a British swinger secret agent living some other life. Then you close it puff and it's gone.

Crispy winters make me long for part of a younger, freer, less responsible me.

6 comments:

Sarah said...

Cough cough waving hand in front of face i can smell your imaginary smoke from here and its stinky just think how much longer youll be around to listen to me since you quit one icky thing i never tried and dont want to

LE said...

What about herbal cigarettes? Actually, I have no idea if they're any better for you, or are "not bad," but since they're all natural, I have the idea that they're ok.

Anyway, I've gotten into them in the past year. Not frequently, but every now and then they're just right.

Jen Nuessen said...

I never had herbal cigarrettes. I was smoking before it had the stigma it does today.

LE said...

"I never had herbal cigarrettes. I was smoking before it had the stigma it does today."

What does this mean? Haven't we known how bad smoking was for at least a good 20 years?

Jen Nuessen said...

Yes, but 10 years ago, it wasn't as politcally incorrect or as vilified as it is today.

And I agree sometimes, there is nothing like a cigarrette, regular, clove or herbal. Damn what society says.

Ching said...

Right, back in the 70s and 80s it was actually cool. But back then it was cool to do have all sorts of vices. And back then people were having sex with everyone and dying of lung cancer and aids and all sorts of stuff. OMG, I have no idea what I am talking about actually. I wasn't born until 77. Anyway, I do know that smoking used to be cool. I agree with Jen that in this day and age, people look at smoking a lot differently. I mean, just think of it -- ten to twenty years ago, there weren't many non-smoking establishments or not even any non-smoking states.

P.S. Great blog entry, Jen! Totally loved the visuals. The narrative was really vivid. I loved it! This is the stuff great blogs are made of -- keep 'em coming!