[Frank]

I just found this site and it looks like the best forum for smokers that I've found yet.

Anyway, about myself. I'm 18. I just started smoking Marlboro reds about a week ago. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's not so fun, I haven't really perfected the whole inhalation method. I've been vascillating between the "suck and inhale" method and just inhaling with my mouth on the cig, not sure which works better for me at this point.

Why did I start smoking? Nobody really encouraged me to do it. I'm just the type of person who just has to really examine something if everybody *seems* to be vehemently against it. I guess I knew I would at least try smoking since middle school. I also detest hypocrisy, and could never really understand why everyone was trying to cram the negative side of smoking down my throat while it's perfectly acceptable for parents to take their fatass kids to McDonald's 5 times a week. Whatever, I could go on a rant, but I won't.

So I guess I'll share my one smoking story. The other day I was smoking in public for the first time. I was sitting in this area in front of Safeway which is the unofficial Safewa employee's smoking area. They have receptacles which is nice. So I try to light up, fail because it's kind of windy and this guy offers me a light, and that succeeded. Thought that was pretty nice of him. So I'm just starting on my cig (I only brought the one) and this guy sitting 20 feet away starts yelling at me about it, asked if I was 16 and stuff. He came over and sat down near me and we talked about smoking. He was in his 50s, and had quit and restarted smoking in his life. My hands were shaking a little and he pointed it out. He thought it was because I was nervous, but I really didn't feel nervous. At some point he lights up too, and then he points out this mom with kids about to pull out of her parking space who was giving me a dirty look. I was feeling pretty good from the cig at this point and just threw it right back at her until she looked away. Was kind of funny to me. I forgot to mention the other thing I really hate: sanctimony. Anyway this guy I was talking to insists on me having one of his cigs and I did. That was a mistake. Ended up burning my thumb without noticing it and I felt a tad sick for the rest of the day. I really have to put some time between my cigs. I only smoke an average of one a day, and don't plan on radically increasing that.

Well that's the great smoking story.

Look forward to posting here.

[pLanetZ]

Hey Frank,

Glad that you are taking your time to smoke and making the decision to smoke yourself. Smoking is a way of life to me, I enjoy it a lot. Its not because I have to smoke but I chose to smoke. You always have to watch our for these anti-smokers when you smoke in public though. They are pain in the butt.

[Frank]

Thanks for the welcome. You're right about the anti-smokers. At least at this point they've restricted themselves to comments and dirty looks to me, which is rather amusing to be honest

[bobbyT]

welcome frank! by the way, it's a good thing that guy just wanted to smoke a cigarette! LOL