A Valuable Lesson

[Giulia]

With Ben's permission I've copied his Confession blog post of March 30th and put it here. This kind of thinking can happen to any of us at any given time, be it 67 days or 6 years. The trap almost grabbed him. But he managed to squeak his way out of it by a chin hair. Thank goodness! Let us learn from this.


"I had to run a few errands after work today and the weather was an perfect 70 and sunny out slight breeze. I stopped by food lion to get dinner and a few grocerys but they only had one smirnoff ice on the sale floor. So i Had to stop by one of the local gas stations to pick up another smirnoff. On my way to the kangaroo I get hit by this thought its such a nice day out, Smoking one cigarette wont hurt me. I had a choice I could skip the kangaroo and go home with just one drink or I could stop by the kangaroo and set myself up for failure. I stopped by the kangaroo and bought myself a smirnoff ice and a pack of Camel Filters. I was tempted to smoke one till I saw the price $4.64. Theres no way Im relapsing and paying that kind of money to kill myself and send money up in smoke. In a few short days that same pack of cigarettes will be $5.22 with the new federal tax in place. I saw in the paper today that SC has bill kickin around the state house that would raise the tobacco tax up to 50 cents a pack. So in the future that same pack of smoke would cost $5.72 if SC passes the new state tax. I was a two pack a day smoker . If I were to relapse in the future Id be paying aproximately $11.44 a day to smoke and that translates out to $ 347.91 a month or $4175.60 a year going up in smoke. So my confession to yall is Im a greedy smokefree penny pincher that bought a pack of smokes today and likes to drink every now and then. Woo Hoo 67 days smoke free!. I just have to be more careful from now on. Im still sorta mad I bought the damn things but glad im still smoke free none the less. I want to be smoke free but i know my actions described in this blog would dictate otherwise. I need to find a way to recommit to this quit so I dont lose what have going for me. Ive let myself wander a little bit lately and I know if i lose this quit theres no guarantee ill get back up and try again and succeed."

[Ben]

my math is slightly skewed in this blog. I was off by 8 cents a day so it would actualy cost $29.20 more a year than I stated in this blog

[Becka]

Since I'm a newbie and you have a lot more time under your belt than I do let me offer this advice carefully, LOL If you slip and have a cigarette don't let that one slip catapult you into a day of smoking! Just acknowledge the slip and keep on truckin. I'm glad to see you made it through this one but if I were you I would either throw or give that pack of cigs you just bought away. Don't tempt yourself needlessly. You can't smoke what you don't have right? Hope the rest of your day will go a little easier. I'm sitting at my computer trying to forget that I want to smoke. It does help to talk about it and it also helps to know that all over the place other people are in the same struggle. Thanks for your blog today it's helpful (and a little scary) to know that this is a long process and it wont be over anytime soon,so I guess I need to relax and take it as it comes.Becka..........

[Giulia]

Becka, doesn't matter if you're a newbie, good advice is good advice and you've given it. This is a long process. And it's one that isn't necessarily linear. There are highs and lows all along the way. There are good days, bad days, great days, miserable days. There are the happy days we think not at all upon a cigarette, and then we come crashing down with a craving seeing a discarded butt outside a supermarket. It's just the way it is. And you must accept it in order to become free for life. We've either all been through it or are going through it on one level or another. Be willing to accept the discomfort in order to change your life in a positive way. That discomfort will not last forever. Hang in and keep a sense of humor aboutcha. 'Cause it's a saving grace in this game.

[Ben]

Dont be afraid to give advice on here. Good advice is good advice. Unless you have a counter on your page most people wont be able to tell if you are a season old salt or still wet behind the ears newbie.

[Theresa]

FYI cigarettes in Chicago are $8.40 a pack at some gas stations. Forget about it!

[Ben]

FYI I heard smokes in NYC are $9.64 a pack

[Giulia]

I am SO glad I don't smoke any more!

[Theresa]

Me too G!