My roommate, like so many others, is tackling the difficult task of quitting smoking. Though I’ve never personally struggled with an addiction to cigarettes, from an outsider’s perspective, it doesn’t make much sense why anyone would start. My mom, who is also a smoker, always uses the excuse, “We didn’t know it was bad for you, in my day.” While that line might get her a little slack, that’s definitely no explanation for current abusers. It causes cancer and it’s expensive. Who wants to pay money – and a seemingly ever increasing amount of money – to get cancer?
Photo by Ashley Klann.
One thing that smoking does offer is the social aspect. Living with two individuals who smoke and someone who dates someone who smokes, there are always the “wanna smoke a butt” sessions in which my other non-smoker roommate and I are left in the living room, awkwardly biding our time and reminding ourselves why we’re not on the porch with everyone else. Usually I’ll just put on my jacket and join in for the hell of it… unless it’s too bitterly cold. Even if I did smoke, I don’t think I’d be very committed in the winter.
This prompted a very interesting discussion with a friend of mine. Why is it so unacceptable for someone to leave a social environment and step outside for a while – without having a cigarette? When you think of someone doing this, that person sounds a bit crazy. Needing to “step out for some fresh air” definitely has a negative connotation; that person sounds like they’re uncomfortable or about to pass out. I think we should all step out for fresh air now and then. Especially with spring creeping on the horizon, I’m always game for an excuse to see some sunlight. Why not challenge convention and step out?
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