Cancer Sticks

Smoking is gross.  I have never understood why people start smoking.  There is absolutely no benefit to smoking.  It is so unhealthy and it costs a lot of money.  Whats the point?  I understand that once people have started, it is addicting and therefore difficult for them to quit.  But seriously, why start?  I can sort of understand why people started smoking back in the day when no one knew it was bad for them.  But, the fact that cigarettes literally kill you is common knowledge now.  Why do people still start smoking?  I can't wrap my head around that.

Many people that I love are smokers.  My mom being the most important.  I hate the fact that my mom smokes.  Shes been a smoker since before I was born.  I can't imagine what her lungs look like.  I went to see Body Worlds with my family about 5 years ago when it was in Milwaukee.  Most of the lungs I saw were black from smoking.  I hope that isn't what my Mom's look like...

My whole family has tried to get her to stop smoking, but nothing works. We refer to cigarettes as "Cancer Sticks", because that is exactly what they are. It saddens me that I can pretty much predict that my she is going to die from lung cancer and it will be awful to have to watch her suffer through it.  Not only that, but it will give us all less time with her.  Each cigarette smoke
d brings her a little bit closer to death.

It isn't just my mom that smokes.  Plenty of my aunts, uncles and cousins do too.  I don't judge anyone for it, but I will say that it can be really annoying.  Every family get together, a group of us will be having a conversation, and suddenly all the smokers will get up and go outside to have a smoke.  Then they continue the conversation amongst themselves.  It seems a bit rude to me.  I suddenly feel left out just because I don't have a bad habit.  Could I go outside and join them? Yes, I could.  But why should I have to?  It just sucks because it means I have to miss out on conversations with my family members.

The thing that really gets me about smokers is when they get upset about not being allowed to smoke in public places.  They say they are "being discriminated against".  Are you kidding me?  Your bad habit doesn't just effect your health, it effects the health of everyone around you.  So no, you can't smoke in public.  Seems like common sense to me.  Every one else shouldn't have to put up with second-hand smoke, smokey rooms and the smell of smoke on their clothes and hair just because other people picked up a bad habit.  If you are a smoker, that is your choice, you don't NEED to do it to survive.  You can smoke in your home, your car, and pretty much anywhere outside.  That should be plenty.

Well, I suppose that can be the end of my rant for now.  Smoking sucks, I don't get the appeal, and I wish my family members (especially my mom) would quit.  For their own benefit!