While waiting for my roommate to arrive from a bus trip at the Grey Hound Station I was privilege to witness the human condition at its worse. The nasty habit of smoking.
Parked in the bus station parking lot was a black pick up truck. Sitting in the cab was a very thin man with a brown and gray ponytail most of the way down his back. A baseball cap perched on his head. Along side him stood a woman with one hand on his knee and the other holding a cigarette. As they waited for the bus to arrive she handed him her cigarette and lit up another. This went on for some time, each time another was lit the one before was tossed to the parking lot. It was all I could do to hold myself together and not scream across to them both. The world is not your trash bin. As I set there collecting my composure the man blow out a lung full of smoke then leaned over to kiss the woman. I was repulsed to say the least. “Kissing a cigarette smoker is like licking a dirty ashtray!”
There are some things in this world that disturb me to no end. I have tried most of the spiritual practice known to man but can’t seem to reach a compassionate state of mind about them. These are things the human race continue to do knowing how harmful the behavior is, not only to themselves but to others as well. Cigarette smoking is on the top ten of my list of disgusting habits.
Smoking has always been something that disturbed me. I remember as a child my father smoking in the car. It didn’t take long before I would feel what we called back then Car Sickness. The car always had a stall air about it. I hated getting into Dad’s Oldsmobile for any reason. The long rides each week end from NYC to the Dix Hills, Long Island were always hard for me. Little did we know back then that second hand smoking was the culprit. It didn’t take long for me to get that all too familiar nauseous feeling whenever the trip started.
On an old family 8 mm film you can see my mother teasing me with a lit cigarette. As she pretends to take a puff on it I am ballistic over her silly anitcs. Although there is no sound you can still her me wailing. No! No! No! Mom Stop.
I know when one starts to learn the social practice of smoking one thinks, God this is cool. Girls were sold the idea of sophistication and glamour. Most young boys who wanted to smoke so they could be looked upon as courageous, strong and manly. How could one resists all the promises of grander? Every movie you went to made you feel like smoking was the end all be all.
What about those Marlboro adds? Wasn’t he smoking hot? I know, I know, I almost fell for it myself, but,
I remember the first and only time I tried to smoke. My friends were doing it. Why shouldn’t I? We were out on the street corner. The street light shining down on us the atmosphere was right, God we looked cool already just being out there at that hour. May as well go all the way. I took a puff and thought I was going suffocate on the spot.
My throat started to burn and I was choking out of control. My eyes filled up with tears and I had that all to familiar feeling of Car Sickness. Did I ever try it again? No! One should take heed in a lesson learned.
I know peer pressure holds much power over the week of mind but what makes someone take that second puff. For God sake you’er putting burning leaves into you face, down your throat into your lungs and back out again for some unsuspecting victim to walk by and inhale. Get a life. You’er not cool, you smell. Your breath stinks, your hair stinks and your clothes stink. Cool! I think not.
Can’t you see that you are contaminating yourself and everything else?
Nothing is more unattractive then a smoker. Why do you think all the reformed smokers are so adamant supporters of the cause?
May I say one more thing and I will stop my rant? Let me ask the inconsiderate carless smokers that I see throwing lit butts on the streets, parking lots, out the car windows, into garden a plot or wherever you think fit. Just who do you think is going to pick up after your lower then life behavior, the butt fairy!
Very nicely written and illustrated, but... HOW ABOUT THE CAKE STORY??? C'mon, I can't wait to hear the ending! Pleeeeeeease? OOOXXX
ReplyDeleteI use to date (going steady) a Marlboro man in Atlanta. He moved because of his job, wanted me to go with him....I should have gone,,,yum yum........don't get so bent out of shape, there are worse things. I do agree with the anti butts on the ground......what's this fascination you have with Greyhound bus stations?...Last time I stayed with you, you took me to the bus station..was it my smoking?
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