11.16.2007

NOTICE: NO SMOKING unless you are on fire…

I just have to address something. I'm sure that most of you that read this, do not smoke, but if you do, PLEASE do whatever you need to do to stop. It really really makes me mad.

I did nothing to get cancer 3 times, yet people who smoke have a CHOICE. I just do not get it.

This is also my little tongue-in-cheek ‘rant’ for the day (a quote from Jerry Seinfeld):

Smoking is certainly one of the oddest and stupidest human idiosyncrasies. Why did anyone think a camel is a good product image for a cigarette? I think each one is the equivalent tar of smoking an actual camel. I love the ad campaign they had a few years ago on their anniversary-’75 years and still smoking’. Well, not everybody. I think there might be a few empty chairs at that birthday bash. Maybe the appeal is the fire. There’s something very scary and exciting about fire. People always run to see a fire. They’re very proud that they have a fireplace. This is what smoking is really all about. The power of “I’ve got some fire right here in my hand. Smoke and fire is literally coming right out of my mouth.” and it’s very intimidating to the nonsmoker because it’s like talking to someone who’s going, “My head could open up. Lava could explode out, pour right down my face, doesn’t bother me a bit.”
-Jerry Seinfeld

At college, I have to bob and weave through all the smokers and I can feel my blood pressure rising with anger and my damaged (from surgery and radiation) lungs cringe. I just want to yell sometimes. Yesterday, I was in the computer lab and someone who had been heavily smoking came and sat next to me and I had trouble breathing and had to leave.

Anyways, point is, smoking is dumb. It just is-there is NOTHING good about it AT ALL. If someone is addicted, get help, like with any addiction. Please, acknowledge the problem and get help.

Today, I am grateful for: family, friends, gorgeous weather and a "free day"!!!

Love,
Rachel

9 comments:

Rachel's sister said...

Yeah! What she said! :)
I used to get so ticked at people at the hospital who would sit out in the quad, hooked up to their IVs, smoking their cigs...I know it's an addiction, but come on people! Okay, that's my rant for the day too. Hope you had fun at the concert last night! Love you bunches!

Anonymous said...

Okay, I feel the same way, and I have had conversations with several smokers about it. It really bothers me that social workers who are in school to help people are doing this to themselves. I tell them about cancer and how bad it is and how they never want to get it. But all they can tell me is that I don't understand what it's like to be addicted. And they are right. I really don't know how hard it is to quit smoking...the day-in-day-out nagging of it. Just like they don't know the day-in-day-out pain and heartache of cancer. I feel like it is a divide that we just can't bridge. It's really sad.

Momar Van Der Camp said...

Very true very true. Guess who has his own blog now? Of course the name is strange, but it's little old me, just like I promised.

Obsessedwithlife said...

Cam, thanks for scaring me at first. DORK!

Thanks for coming through on your promise...you're already famous in the blog world b/c of the wedding pic on my blog. LOL.

R

Obsessedwithlife said...

kelly and mary-
yes, very sad. ugh.

lahdeedah said...

Disclosure: I smoked for 10 years, from age 18 to 28. I'm 47 now, so it's been nearly 20 years since I quit. And I sometimes still think that having a cigarette sounds like a good idea. The point is, nicotine is wildly, crazy addicting. It takes people on average 7 or 8 attempts to quit. My sister and her husband still smoke, and I would love for them to quit because I've been there in the final hours with friends dying of lung cancer, and I can think of other ways I'd rather die (or have them die). If I have a point, it's that folks never really know what you're going through unless they've gone or are going through it themselves. Thanks for the great topic, Rachel.

Dee said...

OMG! Doctors who smoke drive me fucking insane. Sorry for the curse but it was so necessary. That seriously, is one of my biggest biggest pet peeves. Smoking in general ticks me off. Mils used to smoke but he quit (I was so proud of him!).

I hope the concert was amazing and that you had SO much fun. You deserve it lady.

randy said...

Amen!!!!

Obsessedwithlife said...

Thanks everyone :).