Most of us know the negatives of smoking. But what about the positives?
- Smoking breaks provide a time for grounding, slowing down, and focusing on breathing. Most smokers I know who take their breaks consistently are friendly, conversational people, as a generality more approachable than many non-smokers. I see people taking their breaks, and see the practice of pausing and breathing as a great one.
- It's an efficient weight-loss program. Keeps most slender, and wards off hunger.
- It keeps the pretentious, I'm-better-than-you people away. Or at least they keep their distance.
- Smoking bonds people with a commonality among eachother.
- It causes one to develop thicker skin. Judgements and dirty looks abound, causing one to instrospect and pull strength from within. One learns not to depend on others for self-esteem and worth, but to pull that up from the inside.
- In a way, it's people listening to their bodies. On a daily basis, "how do I feel right now?," "how am I going to manage myself physically?"
- It's a quick way to feel better.
Let it be clear that I DON'T recommend smoking. I personally don't smoke and don't plan on starting. I work on a hospital floor where I see smokers coming in with bladder cancer. Lung cancers go to other floors. Deadly stuff. And still I respect my co-workers, neighbors, ex's, and good friends who smoke. Let not this frank discussion separate us. There are positives too, if we're being un-censored-frank. Just sayin'.
Many people, in discussing smoking with their children, prefer to leave out, even with near-adults, the other half of the story. Should we? And among adults, do we only discuss the one side?
