[PallMalllover]

I came from a large family and nobody smoked in my family. I am married to a non-smoker also. I became fascinated with smoking at a young age when I saw a woman smoking when I went to a race with a friend of mine. I started sneaking smokes at age 10 and am still a closet smoker in mid life who only smokes when I have a day or weekend away from the family. Those times are few and far between. Anyone else come from a completely non-smoking family or is a closet smoker?

[ohiophil]

Your wife doesn't know you smoke?

[PallMalllover]

No, but I only smoke when I am on a trip away from home, or when she is away.

[ohiophil]

Wow. Impressive for sure. You must go to great lengths to make sure she doesn't find out

[PallMalllover]

Yes I do. I sometimes go a month without a smoke. I do it for the pleasure, not the addiction.

[greensmoke]

I'm 35 started at 12 and still don't like smoking in front of my parents. Other family is fine though.

[IronicChef]

Originally Posted by PallMalllover I came from a large family and nobody smoked in my family. I am married to a non-smoker also. I became fascinated with smoking at a young age when I saw a woman smoking when I went to a race with a friend of mine. I started sneaking smokes at age 10 and am still a closet smoker in mid life who only smokes when I have a day or weekend away from the family. Those times are few and far between. Anyone else come from a completely non-smoking family or is a closet smoker?

Your story sounds a lot like mine - I grew up in a non-smoking house but was fascinated with smoking for as long as I could remember. I had my first at age 8, and was a closet smoker, like you, for years. At age 35 I started smoking regularly and came out to pretty much everyone. Honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal, and it makes smoking so much more pleasurable. No one else in my family smokes and I rarely smoke around them because it's usually limited to short visits or meeting for dinner somewhere.

Unlike you, my wife knew I was a closet smoker, even though I thought I was hiding it pretty well. She didn't like it much when I became a regular smoker, but we're divorced now and I'm happier than I've ever been.

[Spies]

I grew up in a non smoking family. but they knew I smoked. My aunt and uncle smoked and I was visiting them when they started to light up and they offered me one. So I got to smoke with them.

[Ivar]

I come from a non-smoking family also. My parents and brothers don’t smoke. They know I smoke and don’t understand why I do.

[marlbororob89]

I also comes from a non-smoking family (for the most part), but, of all the family members that I grew up around, I'm the only one that smokes. I had grandparents who smoked, but, they passed away before I was born, so I don't know anything about their smoking history, other than what I can see in old photos.

Being a late starter, once I started smoking more and more on a regular basis, I knew this was something that I was going to have to face, so I did on my terms and I told my parents upfront and honestly and that I made the decision to start smoking and it was my decision alone. My parents accepted the decision and ever since then, everyone knows that I smoke and I still don't smoke in front of them out of respect, but, there have been cases where I have bought cigarettes with them with me and it wasn't until earlier this year that they found out about how much I was smoking a day.