Watching the Other Side

by Peggy McFarland

Did you ever watch smokers? Sure, they are the new lepers of society, but there is a camaraderie among smokers I envy. They share a light, a conversation, and a laugh while they stand in sub-zero temperatures - sure, slaves to their habit, but also enjoying a human connection which all the booze in the world served at oaken bars with flickering candlelight and sparkling bottles will never provide. Smokers meekly take their lighters and packs outside, accepting the outcast position they’re been bullied into because there is a sense of guilt; smokers know they should quit the habit, but how does one give up a constant friend - the one that was there through every meaningful moment of life, ready to celebrate or commiserate, always faithful and available? I watch smokers, and I envy them, but I stay on my side of the pungent cloud; I surrendered my membership to that club years ago. But... if I knew the world would end tomorrow, I would drive to the corner store today and reacquaint myself with my old habit, and maybe share a light, a memory - hell, maybe even a laugh - with a new friend.

6S

Peggy McFarland, whose full catalog is here, celebrated eight years of smoke free living on January 20th. (Start her thread of past 6S posts with Midnight Snack, if you want to see the musings of a smoke-free mind.)