On Quitting Smoking

So, today marks the three week mark of my battle with quitting smoking. Now that things are going a little easier, I have a few observations/musings/general quips about the whole process:

1. When I first quit, it seemed like I had cravings constantly. My sister in law said, "Don't worry. It will only last for 30 seconds before it passes." To my sister in law, I affectionately say, "Bullocks!" It doesn't pass in 30 seconds. It doesn't pass in 5 minutes. It's simply torturous!!

2. I bought some Nicorette gum to help me deal with said cravings. The directions on the box say to use 8 to 9 pieces a day. I decided to ignore this advice and just take a piece when I felt like I needed it. If I had followed their advice, I would have had to spend a whole lot of money on the gum while remaining addicted to the nicotine. I'm still on my original box that I paid $50 for. I only have a bad enough craving once or twice a day and have plenty of gum left.

3. My sense of smell has definitely improved. I smell cigarette smoke everywhere and it almost makes me throw up. However, if anyone reading this blog ever catches me being one of those annoying ex-smokers who complains about the smoke, you have permission to lay me out with an open handed smack in the mouth. I HATE those people.

4. My husband is still smoking. It made it twice as hard to quit being around him but I did it. I will mention that I wanted to kiss him a lot on that first day so I could have a cigarette by proxy.

5. I don't ever want to start again. I can take a deep breath and not feel like I'm going to collapse because I can't breathe.

6. If I can do it, anyone can do it!!

7. The only thing that triggers a craving now is stress so if you're around me, don't do anything to tick me off!!

Independence Day!!!

Today we celebrate Independence Day here in the United States. Many Americans will celebrate by grilling and getting together with friends and family. They might have a hot dog or hamburger, drink a beer or two and then settle in to watch some fireworks. Most will not even give a second thought to those who wanted freedom badly enough that they laid down their lives in order to secure it for you and I.

As I wrote the above, I couldn't help but think that this is exactly what I hear from at least two or three other people every Fourth of July, Memorial Day or Veteran's Day. I know it's shameful but I hear these words and I say inside my head, "Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, heard it before, yada, yada,yada..."  Maybe a better question that we need to be asking ourselves is this: What are we doing with our freedom that they fought so hard to give us? Are we content to sit on our behinds, just take take take from everyone and let the world pass us by or are we active participants in the world around us, questioning when things aren't right and putting the needs of others ahead of ourselves? I know I sometimes fall in the trap of that first kind of person but I sure do want to be that second person.

Happy Fourth of July everyone!!