You Gotta Cigarette?

I never had any desire, whatsoever, to smoke an entire cigarette; (with the emphasis on the word, ‘entire’).

Oh, like any adolescent boy, I readily accepted a puff of my dad’s cigarette, or picked one up off the street, tore the nasty end off, put it in my pocket, and lit it up in the privacy of my backyard orange grove. But I suppose if you stuffed the combined total of legal weed I ever smoked … into a thimble, well, this illusion speaks for itself. To be sure I never smoked any of (what used to be) the illegal variety, (and which has also been referred to as ‘weed’). 

Speaking of my dad, I saw (and heard) far too much for far too long to be all that enamored with that age-old, (vs. the 21st century) dispenser of nicotine.

For you see, my father’s unofficial daily routine included eight or ten minutes in the main bathroom, hovering over the toilet, and… “puking his guts out.” And though he was hidden from sight, the retching, and gagging and hacking permeated the walls, and made it difficult for me to consume my breakfast.

Thankfully, and in spite of my dad’s nasty habit, (one which he finally managed to quit) he lived out a long and full life. Doctors have told me, however, that I am apparently the product of my father's second-hand smoke, as there is some evidence of a buildup of fluid in my lungs. Sadly, in more recent years, several near and dear to me have picked up the habit, and continue to roll “the proverbial dice” with their health, and futures. In the past year, my nephew by marriage, and distant cousin, (one and the same) succumbed to lung cancer; having smoked for decades.

Granted, I have also opted for a potentially hazardous obsession; (but one which is generally considered healthy).

BIKING

And speaking of Biking, I only just dismounted my “Cannondale Quick,” and sat down at my keyboard, having pedaled my standard 10 mile morning trek; (which regularly has me on the trail by 4am).

As I negotiated my first sidewalk mile today, (for I can’t even contemplate risking my life in the bike lane) I happened upon something, or rather someone walking in my direction. Needless to say, “happening upon something or someone” in the wee hours of the morning, and on an intersecting course, is generally thought undesirable, (and dangerous to one’s health). Nonetheless, by the time I noticed the man, my course was set, and it was far too late to make my way across the four lane highway which paralleled the sidewalk.

Having little option, but to “put the pedal to the metal,” within seconds I was whizzing past what at that hour seemed little more than a phantom. It was only after I passed the man that I understood the question he posed.

“You don’t happen to have a cigarette, do you?”

Without so much as an, “Uh, No!” I continued pedaling.

The man’s question deserved neither recognition nor response.

However, I suppose if I had deigned to provide him an intelligible answer, it might have sounded something like,

“Sure, I gotta cigarette. I’d be more than happy to contribute to your pitiful habit. No problem. I mean, after all, I listened to my dad puke his guts out for years. A half century later, I still experience lung congestion from his second-hand smoke. I’ve witnessed those near and dear to me pick up the habit, (and worried for their health). I did everything I could to challenge a relative to get the help he needed when he developed troublesome respiratory symptoms. And ultimately watched him succumb to cancer. And all the time, and efforts I’ve expended pedaling 11,000 miles the last 3.5 years was nothing but “a lark,” and I was never serious about my health and future anyway.”

Yeah, right. Sure I gotta cigarette.


By William McDonald, PhD.  Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary," Vol. 36. Copyright pending

If you would like to copy, share or save, please include the credit line, above
***************

If you would like to see the titles and access hundreds of my blogs from 2015, do the following:  

 

Click on 2015 in the index to the right of this blog. When my December 31st blog, "The Shot Must Choose You" appears, click on the title. All my 2015 blog titles will come up in the index