Smokin' Joe
While I was waiting for the bus this morning I noticed a young woman (about 19 years old) standing near a group of other bus-waiters. She was dressed for summer, with an old t-shirt and some shorts, and had the look of a natural model - no make-up, her hair pulled back into a ponytail - a simple beauty.
Then she pulled out a pack of smokes and lit one up. Ugh. Smoking. It's so nasty. And it will make her look almost twice her age by the time she's 30-something. Although I don't know this woman, and I don't remember seeing her before, I was saddened by her addiction and by what it will do to her natural beauty.
And why wouldn't I be? According to the American Heart Association "nicotine addiction has historically been one of the hardest addictions to break." They go on to say:
My dad smoked when I was a kid. I used to stay home with him on Sunday nights while my mom and siblings went to church. He smoked Chesterfield, non-filtered cigarettes (the preferred brand of James Dean) and I remember loving the smell of them. Not like smokes today; the smell disgusts me.
I've always said that one of the greatest temptations I had in life was smoking. Perhaps the craving came from all the second-hand smoke I breathed in as a child. Who knows. All I know is that I'm glad I never became a smoker, with all it's "cool" yellowed-fingered benefits.
[Gag.]
Then she pulled out a pack of smokes and lit one up. Ugh. Smoking. It's so nasty. And it will make her look almost twice her age by the time she's 30-something. Although I don't know this woman, and I don't remember seeing her before, I was saddened by her addiction and by what it will do to her natural beauty.
And why wouldn't I be? According to the American Heart Association "nicotine addiction has historically been one of the hardest addictions to break." They go on to say:
When a person smokes a cigarette, the body responds immediately to the chemical nicotine in the smoke. Nicotine causes a short-term increase in blood pressure, heart rate and the flow of blood from the heart. It also causes the arteries to narrow. The smoke includes carbon monoxide, which reduces the amount of oxygen the blood can carry. This, combined with the nicotine effects, creates an imbalance between the demand for oxygen by the cells and the amount of oxygen the blood can supply.
My dad smoked when I was a kid. I used to stay home with him on Sunday nights while my mom and siblings went to church. He smoked Chesterfield, non-filtered cigarettes (the preferred brand of James Dean) and I remember loving the smell of them. Not like smokes today; the smell disgusts me.
I've always said that one of the greatest temptations I had in life was smoking. Perhaps the craving came from all the second-hand smoke I breathed in as a child. Who knows. All I know is that I'm glad I never became a smoker, with all it's "cool" yellowed-fingered benefits.
[Gag.]
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 at 8:38 PM.
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11:14 PMIf one of your biggest temptations in life was smoking there is a good chance that it the case might have been the same for the girl at the bus stop. The difference maybe that she didn't have the willpower to stop herself from cause major damage to herself.
The imagery the tabacco companies portray in their ad's of young and beautiful people enjoying a smoke while walking along the beach or even the Marboro Man (And Honestly, is he not one of the coolest lookin dudes on the planet) is too much for alot of people to resist. They want piece of that life and even it means ravaging their bodies they aim to get it.....That's just my opinion. I could be wrong
Kyle
1:16 AM
http://www.stopsmokingcenter.net/
Smokin.... it IS harmful to the body. I heard one oncologist tell us that it is the cause of every form of cancer that can occur in a smoker's body. It weakens the blood vessel walls and hurries along the general deterioration of the body. I stood and listened as one of our surgeons told a woman in her early 60's that the bleed in her head was caused 100% by smoking. I've watched many a young, smokin' grandparent die of lung cancer. Not able to stay around to be a part of that very special time.
However, there are a thousand harmful things in our society and we have all had part in a variety of them.
I'm with Kyle.... the direction our lives take and what we end up doing or not doing has many variables that only our Father knows the reasons for. And, yes, some godly people are addicted to cigarettes. Some godly people are in every walk of life... even in the alleyways.....and they just MIGHT be smokin'.... lol
lyG
11:54 AM
Thanks for your comments Kyle... do you have a blog? If so, let me know - I'd love to read it!
10:06 PM
Sorry Paul. No blog, I just read yours on the advice of a friend of mine.
Kyle
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