Generally people who blow smoke in someones face, get smacked in the gob. (benefit?) like this**: I must clarify that I don't mind smokers. In fact the more there are, the better. I make a lot of money out of smokers. Furthermore, smoking significantly reduces the number of pensioners that there could be at any point, which means the state has one less freeloader; and I get to pay less tax, than if there had been a higher number of pensioners. Smoking also creates a lot of jobs, which means that I'm not the only one being taxed, and so I can pay less tax; than if there was a higher unemployment rate. I digress. -------------------------------------------- The reason I don't smoke is very simple. I don't smoke so that I can say: I am honest. In two basic ways: (1) Honest to say that: I am thankful and grateful for the life I have. One day, right at the end, I need to be able to say that I made the most of it, to show my gratitude for this gift. If I smoke, then my life will be shorter than it should have been, at my own hands, and I wouldn't have made the most of it. (2) Honest to the people I love and care about (my family.) Be true to yourself: If you smoke and knowingly inflict disease and shorten your life expectancy, can you honestly say that you love and care for yourself? If, you are unable to love and care for yourself, you will never be able to TRULY love and care for another. You have heard that line before, its a very old saying. Its a fact. What do your words mean when you tell your partner or children that you love them, but that you will deliberately not be there, for them, for as long, as you possibly could have been. Personally, I want to grow old with somebody (not alone), so I chose somebody that doesn't smoke. I was honest with myself. I walked away from people who would not be able to help me make this come true. I want my children to have the support of their parents for as long as possible. When I made a commitment to my partner it was complete, without a clause that said I could waste a significant portion of my income on cigarettes, petrol to fetch cigarettes, lighters, more frequent medical expenditure than a non-smoker and paying double on personal insurance premiums; rather than buying flowers and building a nicer home. It feels good to show my respect by not offering a kiss with an ashtray mouth. It feels better to spend another minute holding hands, than excusing myself to go and stand outside in the designated area. It feels good to be grumpy because its raining too hard to go for a walk with you, and not because I haven't got any smokes. It feels good that I'm not going to look up at you from under an oxygen mask and see that look on your face that says "what have you done". Cos That must be the worst way to die, if I ever leave you thinking that thought. People lie very easily. Words are easy. Character is in your action. Smoking is an action that says: I don't love myself OR I can't love myself. Is this somebody that you want to be with and build a future with? Can you build a good future with somebody like this? You have one valuable life to invest and share with somebody. Strangely, its the women in my life that have made me think like this. Here it comes finally** and I hope you get it: When your life is longer ... there'll probably be a lot more Fun in it. Thats just one expression of 'value'. I guess its mathematical after all. Yup OK
