Tuesday 31 August 2010

No Smoke Here

I'm an ex-smoker. I gave up smoking on my 40th birthday as a present to myself. Today I avoid the clouds of lone fag inhalers at the entrances of buildings and pubs, and hold my breath if I have to rush through the noxious air on my way somewhere else.

The interesting thing about giving up smoking is that concurrently I also lost few stone in weight. That could be down to my doing more things than just sitting at home ordering groceries and cigarettes on the internet :) But the fact I DID do it, DECIDED to, AND DID it is significant to me. How can I apply the how and why of that success to this aim of furthering my healthy living journey. I was going to write weight loss, but it actually seems better in my mind to call this my gaining something rather than losing something. As perhaps ceasing smoking was a decision to:
1) stop creating noxious air for my pet to breathe - I had read a lot about passive smoking effects on nearest and dearest and it wasn't FAIR. They give us all their love and we reward them with illness? Indefensible.
2) to smell nice again - smokers STINK, and the smell CLINGS. My home was a STINKY place to be in. Now it smells of me and ordinary smells instead of rank dank pub atmosphere.
3) to truly appreciate the food I cooked and ate. Food tastes absolutely divine now.
4) to truly appreciate the myriad scents and smells of the world around me. I love perfume. And now a teeny spray covers me with enough scent, where before I would spray vast amounts because I could not smell myself properly. Saving money hurrah! And I do appreciate all the other normal stinky smells - how else could I detect if my cat had brought in a mutilated gift and stowed it somewhere?
5) to breathe better. My lungs are much better now. I still get asthma, but the benefits of not coughing all the time means I can discern between smokers hack and real bronchial distress. My asthma meds are only for reassurance rather than everyday use today.

If I had still been a smoker I wouldn't have had the chance to meet or get to know my last partner who was the source of many inspirations and explorations for me in giving myself a bigger life stage.

If I was still a smoker, there would be no hope whatsoever for my getting to learn how to scuba dive. Now my only barrier is getting down to an okay weight before embarking on yet another activity adventure.

If I was still a smoker, I'd be one of those fag inhalers loitering outside buildings - sure it is camaraderie, however it is SO much nicer to be indoors and chatting to all ones friends rather than one type of friend.

I'm so glad I'm a No Smoke Here person.

And if I can be an ex-smoker, I can be an ex-fattie too.

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