I'm old enough that I can remember smoking in movies, at the grocery store, at work (in an office and in elevators!), on buses and in planes. I lived through the systematic implementation of restrictions on where and when one could smoke. The gradual increase of shaming comments from random strangers was also unpleasant.
I quit smoking last winter right before an ambulance ride to the hospital and heart surgery. (Heart surgery is no fun, thanks for asking.) I smoked and quit and smoked again and quit again many times. The last time I quit (before this time), it lasted over nine years. Then I picked it up again during a very stressful time at work.
Frankly, I miss smoking. I don't miss the health effects, but I miss everything else about it. I can't say I won't smoke again. I've said that too many times to believe it.
And I miss smokers, mostly. They are a friendly bunch.
I remember times scrambling around airports looking for a place to smoke. Most are outside, and many are situated such that you end up having to go back through TSA screening again just to have a butt before getting on a flight. I wish I'd known about this site back then.
I quit about eight years ago now, I take care of my occasional urge by puffing on a Soex brand herbal beedie. A beedie is normally tobacco wrapped in a bay leaf, so technically it isn't a beedie.
You're still sucking down smoke, but at least there's no nicotine dragging you back, and unlike other herbal cigarettes they don't taste like ass. They have a campfire smell to them, so non-smokers don't mind them as much.
I do occasionally want to buy smoker seat in the plane, sometimes because I joke, sometimes because I genuinely forget there is no such thing any more.
Not going to have the downvotes driving my profile into oblivion. I think retirement sounds fantastic and it would be great to live to old age enjoying personal programming projects. THX.
Wonder if you might be saying the same thing when you're 65. Meaningfulness can come from places besides jobs, house plants, or Facebook I think. I could also be totally wrong, but I think it's worth attempting to find out.
Social inclusion is an essential part of life and it's completely closed off from people who are "old" in programming. I don't think I am the only person to note that.
I quit smoking last winter right before an ambulance ride to the hospital and heart surgery. (Heart surgery is no fun, thanks for asking.) I smoked and quit and smoked again and quit again many times. The last time I quit (before this time), it lasted over nine years. Then I picked it up again during a very stressful time at work.
Frankly, I miss smoking. I don't miss the health effects, but I miss everything else about it. I can't say I won't smoke again. I've said that too many times to believe it.
And I miss smokers, mostly. They are a friendly bunch.
I remember times scrambling around airports looking for a place to smoke. Most are outside, and many are situated such that you end up having to go back through TSA screening again just to have a butt before getting on a flight. I wish I'd known about this site back then.