Tabatha Deans

ROCKY MOUNTAIN …

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH

            Wow! It’s been 30 days since my last cigarette, and I’m absolutely amazed at how different my life has become. I think not smoking was a catalyst for change in many areas, and the ripple effect of goodness has been amazing.

            I unintentionally celebrated my 30 day anniversary by hiking Herman’s Gulch with Mr. R, spending a wonderful day wandering the wilderness, chatting about life’s mysteries, sharing future dreams and pondering the past. The hike was strenuous as we ascended the side of the mountain, but I didn’t feel like my lungs were going to burst, or that my head was going to explode. There was a burning in my thighs and buttocks as we climbed higher and higher, but my lungs absolutely loved the fresh mountain air and thanked me every step of the way for quitting smoking.

            Surprisingly the cravings have become a little more intense as time goes by. They only last for a brief second, and usually occur when I’m watching television, ie: Sex in the City, and see actors smoking. I don’t actually want to light up a cigarette or take a puff, it’s more like I’m remembering fondly a past experience. I do miss chatting with others while banned outside to the smoking lounge, and the satisfying ritual of striking the match, tilting my head and closing one eye so I could see the match, then lighting and taking the first drag of a cigarette.  

            On the other hand, I now find it intolerable to be standing in line at the train station stuck between two people who are smoking. Or being seated on the bus next to the homeless guy who hasn’t bathed for several days and is a chain-smoker. Smells are intensified, which drive me nuts on the bus, but really make me happy early in the morning when I leave my house and the city smells fresh, or after a light rain, or when I’m sitting on a mountain top…

July 6, 2012 - Posted by Tabatha Stewart | Uncategorized