Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

I'm not going to go off on an anti-smoking tirade. If you smoke. Fine. It's just not my thing and never had been. Sure, I enjoy a good cigar on occasion, but that's it. Perhaps a good rock of crack or meth for those special days. But, cigarettes? Nah. You can have them.

Living in NYC, the smoking ban in public places went into affect years ago. And as a bartender, I love it. No cleaning up nasty ashtrays or coming home smelling of smoke. Everyone smokes outside. All good. And with many other cities doing it, my clean air is saved more and more.

So, when I'm around an intense level of smoking, it really gets to me quicker. I often hang out at places to the wee hours of the morning. Some would call these "after hours" places. No, I wont tell you which ones. But, these places let you smoke in them. Last night was so busy in one and EVERYONE was smoking. Within moments, my eyes got irritated and my lungs all nasty. Everywhere I went, and it's a big place, people were smoking. I suppose it's the whole "forbidden fruit" thing.

My main beef is those social smokers. You know who you are. "I only smoke when I drink." Dumbest thing I've ever heard. Either smoke or don't. Most of these types of smokers don't like it that much and do it when drinking because everyone else is doing it. It's not a desire for themselves. It's the desire to be part of the crowd. Yes, peer pressure still exists as adults. Just in a different manner. It's like when you were a kid. That corny saying that anti-smokers would say. "You're just smoking to try to look cool." And I'll admit, there is an air of coolness to smoking. So, basically, these social smokers are just trying to look cool. Fit in. Talk to someone or find a way in to talk to someone by bumming a cig. Stupid.

I'm hanging out with this girl last night and suddenly she gets one from a friend. She seemed awkward with it, but certainly had done it before. Yep. She's one of them. I asked if she was a social smoker and she said exactly what I mentioned earlier. "I only smoke when I drink." Annoying! Stupid! I punched her in the vagina.

I get home smelling of smoke. I want to burn my clothes, but then consider the irony of those going up in smoke.

Smoke or don't smoke people. There is no spoon. 

Comments

[Mala]

Nah, you didn't punch me in the vagina at the "after hours thing." I'm pretty sure you saved that for today.

It was really nice meeting you, Jimmy. Thanks for the armchair psychiatry.

[jimmy]

i didnt? did i at least kick you in the hoo ha? i musta been really drunk. :P

word. nice meeting you too. and, thanks for realizing i'm just phucking around on this blog and aint hatin'. all fun and all good! say word? :)

[mike.]

Smoking, to me, is like tattoos (or accents) - it makes attractive people look cuter, and unattractive people uglier.

Problem is, everyone always thinks that they're attractive.... ;p