Daily Post – Worst Case Scenario
Today’s daily post idea from The Daily Post is called Worst Case Scenario. Of all the awful possibilities, what’s the worst possible thing that could happen to you today? Now, what about the best?
Worst? It’s clearly obvious what the worst outcome of today could be and is ridiculous to even ask or even for me to put it down in words. As a family man, the most absolute worst scenario of today would result in the death of a loved one. Either immediate family or extended. It’s something I do not want to think about or go through. I’m just going to pass by this and move on to the best.
The best? One of my Powerball tickets hitting a worthwhile jackpot sum. Tonight marks the highest jackpot in US history and is already over 900 million dollars. I can think about how many lives I could change with that amount. My family would be set.
Happy Endings – Clearing out the Smoke
I’m a few days late with this “daily post” idea but I wanted to put this out there. It is important and was life changing for me. Since this is a great time for new year resolutions, I thought this could serve as inspiration to someone. My happy ending was when I attempted to quit smoking cigarettes again and did it for the last time.
I started smoking cigarettes years ago when I was 12. I wasn’t a regular smoker at that age but did it with friends. We would steal cigarettes from my friends’ parents and their friends. My first brands I tasted was Camel non filtered and Benson and Hedges. Once I got a little older and in high school, I started getting my own packs. I was a Marlboro Red and for awhile a Newport man…or I guess child.
When I was about 20, I decided that smoking was no longer providing a positive effect on my life. Positive being something I made up in my mind that I told myself. I started to rely on it morning, noon, and night. This I noticed was an issue. Actually, the biggest tipping point was when a pack of cigarettes was closing in and going over $2 a pack. Once my Marlboros got costly, I switched to the WaWa generic brand that was known as Jacks. However, those quickly raised in cost.
I quit cold turkey. Cold turkey rarely works but it was my only option. I had a lot of things in my life that were against me for quitting and had to stop it at its source. I could not allow the minutest loophole to offer me a puff. At the time I was bartending at two bars, waiting at a restaurant, and living with two roommates who chain smoked like a chimney.
I am happy to report that I stuck to my guns and won. I did fall off the wagon three months into my cold turkey run. I was at a party and drinking. This was one of the hardest times to refuse a smoke. I broke down. I bummed a smoke from a friend and could not even get half way through it. The taste and the feeling made me ill. After experiencing this ill effect, I knew that I made the right choice.
For years, including still to this day, I get a craving. Usually it comes at very stressful times in my life. When the craving hits, I think back to that time almost 20 years ago when I had my last smoke and it rejuvenates my strength against the shackle that I once wore on my lips.
Also, think of the money I saved over the years. Just think if I still did my almost pack a day habit at the late 1990’s cost of $2 a pack, I would of dumped over $14000 into the habit. (That is not counting the crazy inflation and tax cigarettes now carry.) If I factor that in, my savings are way over $20,ooo.
If you are trying to quit smoking this year, stay strong. You can do it.
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