I do not deny that I am addicted to the 'ol cancer-stick. And I'm not ignorant about the damages that sucking on one of these babies does to one's body.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.
