I
have not always been a smoker. Before the age of twelve and between
the ages 36 to 40 I never touched the filthy things. In the midst of
an effort to quit the weed once more I confess that I identify more
with those who puff regularly than the fanatics who haunt my every
effort to imbibe.
I
have a real concern about decline of smokers over the last decade or
two. If this filthy habit is eradicated it will eliminate some of the
most interesting social aspects of human nature. I can hardly number
all the new people I have met and the wonderful conversations we had
while we were desperately hunting for a place to light up.
A
number of skills that I have can be traced directly to this long-term
habit. In a crowded room I can quickly recognise others of my
persuasion by the quality of their cough. To the
never-would-I-pollute-my-body-with-nicotine individuals it is simply
an expulsion of air. To those who have developed the skill we are
able not only to identify each other but know if the cough means
'I've just come back from a smoke' or if it indicates 'I need a quick
smoke....real bad'.
Many
beginning smokers rely on recognising compatriots through yellowed
fingers or the tobacco scented cologne that most of us wear. If they
are true to their habit and practice it with diligence and drive they
graduate to the level of auditory recognition of other smokers.
Those
of us who live to old age pursuing our vice can look forward to
becoming masters at this ability. My grandfather smoked for eighty of
his ninety years and was considered a sage in this area. He was able
to determine how many years a comrade had smoked based on the weight,
fluidity, volume and resonance of the hacking he heard. He didn't
have enough breath for both smoking and speaking in his last years so
I never learned the finer points of this skill.
Tolerance
for smoking is decreasing at an alarming rate. Signs abound that
building are smoke free...that the smoking table in a restaurant is
in the back (right beside the washroom)....that smoking is only
allowed every third Monday of the month in odd leap years. I
personally suspect that the push is coming, not from non-smokers but
rather that treasonous group of individuals called ex-smokers. I can
think of no other group with enough smugness, self-righteousness or
lung capacity to run around finding so many ways to mess me up. As in
any power struggle there have emerged some heroes who are fighting
back to preserve the domain that smokers have burnt out for
themselves.
Evidence
of an underground resistance is emerging as more butts are being
found in non-smoking areas and an increasing number of no smoking
signs are being used to extinguish cigarettes. Only a small faction
at present, I feel confident that it will grow as the need is felt
throughout the smoking community. I am almost nostalgic as I think of
how smoke-ins, protest marches and riots may once again occur in the
future as they did in the 60's. I do know for certain if I will be
there at that point......it will depend entirely on whether I am
still burning holes in my clothing or if I have returned to long
distance running and tofu.
No comments:
Post a Comment