Smoking is NOT "An Addiction!"

It’s a habit. It’s one that is easily broken if YOU want to quit. There are too many people out there “enabling” your smoking by calling it “an addiction.” I smoked for 45 years, and at the last, smoked three packs a day, plus a few cigars. Then one day I got tired of it. I decided I didn’t want to smoke any more, so I simply never “lit up” again. I walked around for three weeks with an open pack of cigarettes in my pocket so it couldn’t be said that I “removed temptation.” I kept that pack until it crumbled to dust, then threw the dust away. My wife was probably the first to notice I was no longer smoking because she no longer had to empty those ubiquitous ash trays. The rest of the family probably figured it out when the place no longer smelled of cigarettes. I told nobody when I quit because I didn’t want any “help.” I never smoked again, and haven’t, to this day. Some years before I had stopped smoking for five years, just to prove to myself that I could. People kept telling me I couldn’t. I started again five years to the day later, because at the time I, personally, didn’t really want to quit smoking. But this time, it was MY decision to quit smoking, and I had no trouble. There WERE a few days at the first when I “hungered” for a smoke, but I was able to resist easily. I didn’t even use any of those ubiquitous “chewing gums”or other expensive ways you see advertised to get you away from “your addiction.” I just stopped, and I’m not sorry. I STILL enjoy the SMELL of someone ELSE smoking a cigarette, but, unlike other “former smokers” who are deathly afraid if they SMELL someone smoking, they won’t be able to resist smoking themselves, I am not “tempted.” People keep asking me why I still go into the smoking sections in restaurants. I’ll sit in either. I tell them it’s not a problem for me. You can do it, too--if YOU want to do it and are not doing it simply at the urging of someone else. That’s how “personal motivation” affects it. (Just common sense)

Lies and Misinformation

I'm really getting tired of the lies and misinformation being put out as truth by not only the media, but also by business in advertising. One such place is the emphasis on "self-esteem" in the media AND in various ads. Self-esteem is simply your opinion of yourself based on LACK of knowledge of your talents and abilities. They willfully HIDE such information(if it's negative) from you so you will "think of yourself as a beautiful person." Self IMAGE, however, is your view of yourself because of KNOWLEDGE of your own talents and abilities. Another area is oil. Even President Bush has been heard to talk about "our oil addiction." That's false! We are NOT "addicted" to oil, nor are we "addicted" to air, water, and fire. These are NECESSITIES of life! Without them, life, as we know it, would END. That is NOT an "addiction." Another is a political ad that says a certain candidate "has been named the most corrupt." By whom? Her opponent or his friends, of course. So listen to those who push such ideas with skepticism. (Just common sense)