So, up till recently I’ve been hiding out at home, safely away from the sight—or smell—of anyone actually smoking. I’ve been hiding from it like it’s the plague. But this week, I’ve been out and about again, running into people puffing away right in front of me. Usually, it happens in parking lots—outside the Sizzler, or at the clinic where I go for checkups.
And let’s be honest, it would be so easy. All I’d have to do is ask for one cigarette, and I could be off and running again. Smokers are like that—they share. It’s part of the social code.
But you know what stops me now? Oddly enough, it’s the smoke itself. It’s dirty, disgusting, and makes it hard to breathe. That same thick cloud that used to calm me down now turns my stomach. The same reason people never start is now the reason I don’t go back.
It’s funny how perspective changes. A few weeks ago, I couldn’t imagine being around smoke without wanting one. Now, I can walk right through a parking lot full of smokers and just keep going. I can’t hide from it forever—but I don’t need to.
Each time I walk past, I’m reminded of why I quit. And every breath I take feels cleaner for it.
I got this!
by Dan and Bonkers
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