Last week - Tim discussed his adventures on the 
Internet, and publicly announced that he is a 
computer nerd, and has no life.

Last week, while I was trying to come up with 
ideas for the column, I went outside and 
contemplated the subject over a cigarette.  I'll 
fully admit it - I'm addicted to smoking, I enjoy 
smoking, and it kind of erks me when people bug me 
about it.  Enrique was joining me out there for 
company (an admitted non-smoker, and hater of all 
things tobacco), and he begins his tirade about how 
I should quit, give it up, it's good for me.. etc., 
etc., etc...

I was going to tell him to be quiet and send him 
back inside, when the idea struck me.  Why not to 
the next column on smoking?  Why not talk some trash 
back to the people who have been telling me to quit 
for all this time?   Why not drag my problems into 
the arena of the student newspaper.

First, some background for those of you who haven't
been around for like the last 20 years:
1 - Smoking will kill you.
2 - It won't kill you nicely, either.  It'll take 
all of your money, and make you miserable for a 
while before it finishes you off once and for all.
3 - Smoking is addictive.  It'll rope you in, and 
then kill you (see #2)
4 - People who don't smoke normally don't like 
people who do when they're doing it.

So, with all of this in mind, I begin my senseless 
tirade into the world of smoking.

I enjoy smoking.  There is nothing quite like 
having a smoke while watching TV, or following 
a meal.  There is also nothing like that can quite 
replace it in the middle of the night when you 
don't want to wake up your roommate but you have 
to so something.

I'm fully aware that smoking is bad for me.  As 
with any other person in the world, I have been 
bombarded with advertisements and posters that 
encourage not smoking, or quitting altogether.  
Why do I still do it?  What drives me to maim my 
lungs in such a manner?  I have no idea.  It 
could quite simply be that I'm not very bright.  
It could also be the fact that I'm addicted, and 
it doesn't really matter anymore.  However, the 
fact remains that I enjoy smoking very much.  I 
like to do it.  Probably too much.

When will I quit smoking?  I'll probably do it 
when my smoking causes discomfort to those around 
me.  For instance, let's say I get married.  My 
wife is on my back because I'm doing it.  What 
if I have kids?  I don't want them to grow up in 
a smoke filled environment.  So, there's a line 
that I could draw.  I could also say that I'll 
quit when I'm good and ready.  I don't know when 
that will be, but I'm sure there will be a time 
when I wake up and say to myself, "What are you 
doing?!?"  There's another line there.  I could 
also be held at gun point and told to quit.  I'm 
sure that my girlfriend has probably had that 
thought cross her mind.  For right now, however, 
I like doing it, I'm aware of the risks, and I 
take them.  Not the best for me, but it's what 
I do.

I'm not saying to go out, buy yourself a pack 
and start puffing away.  All I'm saying is that 
we smokers are sick of the hassle that we get.  
We know it's bad, we know that we're going to die.  
When we want to quit, we will.  Just don't attack 
us so hard.  We have feelings too.