My smoking history

When I was in Grade 3, two friends of mine approached me at recess. The truth is I wasn't aware that I was friends with these two girls.  They were the popular girls.  I was thrilled that they were even talking to me.  They had "acquired" three cigarettes and wanted to know if I wanted to go with them to one of their houses after school and smoke these cigarettes, literally behind the wood shed.  These girls were so popular that I would have jumped off a bridge with them had they asked.  And, I really lucked out.  My dad was working out of town and on those days, I was allowed to go to someone's house after school as long as I was home by 5 when my mother got home from work.  So, there we were, 3 young girls giggling like crazy and it took longer to light the cigarettes than it did to smoke them.  Of course, it was a stretch to say that we smoked these cigarettes.  We held them and every now and then, we put them to our lips.  When they were half way burned, we butt them out.  I ran home to beat my mother home.  I also ran all the way home to use the wind to get the smoke smell off of me.

I was casually reading a book at the kitchen table when my mom came in the door.  "You've been smoking," she said.  I don't know how she knew.  I guess mother's intuition.  I assume she knew because she was a smoker herself.  I don't think the fact that I had a bath, changed my clothes, and doused myself in her perfume had anything to do with it.  I denied it, of course, but also begged her not to tell my dad.

I was always scared my dad would find out my indiscretions, whatever they would be.  For example, when I was an older teenager, I had the earliest curfew of anyone I knew.  But, I always made it home in time. I don't know what my dad would have done if I violated it, but I never gave him the opportunity.

Regardless, my mom said she wouldn't tell my dad THIS TIME, but if it happened again, she would tell.

The next day at recess, my two friends, the popular girls, told me they had aquired another three cigarettes and invited me over again after school.  They were popular and I wanted to go, however, the truth was that holding the cigarette up to my face did nothing for me.  I sadly said that I had to be home right after school.  They asked another girl.  So much for my chance to be popular.

Those two girls smoked that day and many days there after.  I became close again with one of them while we were in our twenties.  She was still smoking and did everything to quit.  Finally, she went on the patch and quit.  But, she still has a cigarette when she has a beer.  Habits are hard to break.  I ran into the other girl a couple of years ago.  She is a successful pharmaceutical salesperson.  She really has it all, including a pack a day smoking habit.  I am so glad that I never smoked (I don't think that first cigarette that I held classifies me as a smoker), because I don''t think I could ever quit.

But, I know it can happen to anyone........