Cigarettes

Let me preface this by saying that I am a non-smoker and I am not an advocate for smoking. I think that it is one of the dumbest things that someone could do to their body and (not to get on my soapbox) I think that cigarettes should be banned because of the health problems that second-hand smoke imposes on non-smokers. I especially hate to see the parents smoking in the car with their infants and children. It's negligent. This viewpoint came with maturity though. I was a smoker in high school and college. Cigarettes served as a stress reliever, a cure for boredom, and a social tool for me during those years. The topic will come up in conversation and people will often ask me what I mean when I say cigarettes were a social tool for me. In a university setting, smokers are the most social people on campus. When you are new to school, the easiest way to make connections with people is to stand out front of your dorm, smoking. There is always someone out looking for someone with a cigarette to spare. Some of the most amazing conversations that I have had in my life took place on the front steps of Harrington Hall at Plattsburgh State University. These connections are made at all times of the day too! I met one of my best friends having a 4 in the morning smoke after a party. I was coming back to go to bed and he was standing on the front steps having a cigarette. I asked for one and we hit it off. Ahh... those were the days. It sounds funny, but I find that it is harder to make friends now that I don't smoke (or drink as much for that matter). Isn't that funny?