Dec 26th 1983. laid an almost full pack of Salem Lights in my desk drawer. Had to look at 'em every time I opened that drawer for next several years. I'd gotten to the point (3pks or so a day) that I know they were causing me injury & my wife was becomimg more & more alergic to the smoke, so I quit cold turkey. Wuz kinda hard for first week but I wuz determined & after that just a matter of pride in not letting a bad habit 'beat me'. I'd always said if cigarettes got as high as a buck a pack I'd quit, I beat it by a few cents a pack a couple of months early. Been off cigarettes for moren'n 25yrs now & it's the best thing I ever did!

My wife is much happier, I feel better overall & I'm quite sure my medical bills are lower. I'm not a 'former smoker ZEALOT' who tries to shame or force other smokers into quitting. In my estimation that'd be a good thing but everyone to their own kick

. I often enjoy being around someone who's smoking a fragrant pipe toabcco or fine cigar but again that's their affair. Upon very rare occassions such as having a few drinks with old friends, or driving 'cross country' alone late at night, something, a sight sound, smell, etc, will trigger a sudden memory & for a second there, "I'd KILL for a cigarette" but before I could possibly act on the urge, it's already a fading memory; not missed until a possibly similar eposide somewhere later & just as unexpected & ineffective. Guess the best overall effect from quitting smoking is that I got back my sense of taste. After a few months of not smoking I suddenly discovered that for years, I'd been eating a whole bunch of 'crap' that I didn't even LIKE for pete's sake
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DECISION & INSTSTITUTIONAL FORTITUDE. YOU'LL NEVER REGRET IT!
