But the thought of giving up now is the last thing on my mind. I can't imagine a day without the absolute pleasure I get out of lighting one, especially during the course of a hectic day ... it's indescribable.
Sadly being a smoker today is hard. You might as well light a spliff instead. You'd get less shit said to you.
If your office does not have a designated smoking room, woe to the poor sods that have to march outside every time a craving hits.
Even worse is if your office is on the 50th floor. I'm one of the lucky ones; working for a newspaper and surrounded by highly stressed journalists means our smoking area is better than some. With a distant view of the ocean from our roof top, it's a 21st century smoker's haven.
The only thing one has to content with are non-smokers (who somehow find their way to designated areas).
It does not help that in this country, smoking as a black woman is a social faux-pas and hence allot of my peers choose to enjoy their cancer-sticks in private, far away from prying eyes.
Let me give you a couple of examples of the shit I have to listen to when all I want to do is enjoy my ciggie.
- Do your parent's know you smoke? (I have my own apartment, have my own car; what am I 12 years old!)
- You are too pretty to smoke (What is there a law saying only fugly people can smoke?)
- Smoking is a disgusting habit (And picking your nose and eating what you found there you idiot is not?)
- I hate it when women smoke, it's so unattractive (It's not like I was trying to lure your punk ass into bed!)
I've accepted high taxes on cigarette, the segregation and those annoying health warnings but I can't stand self-righteous rantings about what is basically my personal choice.