Smoking is charisma

It is rather sad to sit by and watch how smokers are treated like parias and how the govenment passionately tries to ban an age-old culture. It is a well known fact that governments are not very particular with regard to cultures in general, but banning smokers is more than I can take.

It's still fresh in my memory. Grandfather in his Morris chair with his pipe in his left hand and a glass of young gin in his right. Relishing the memory of a long working day, and tasting this satisfaction, he could fill an entire evening with his stories of times past. A construction worker with a cigarette behind his ear deeply impressed me, as did a cowbory rolling a cigarette while sitting on his crazy horse during a wild rodeo ride.

It was my brother-in-law who taught me the ingenuity of smoking: blowing the most fantastic curls into the room by just moving the mouth in a particular way. It was the same brother-in-law who offered me a cigarette on my sixteenth birthday, smartly tapped out of the packet, which I haven't regretted to the present day. Savouring a well-deserved cigarette is like the first kiss of a girl. Tasty, exciting and satisfying, time and time again. 

It has never been scientifically proven that smoking causes any scary diseases. What has been proven is that is works great as a relaxation tool. 'Let me just catch a puff', my neighbour used to say. 'Time for a fag', is heard in other areas. Where is the blue haze that used to fill the old pub? What is left of the 'third half' in the football canteen if you cannot smoke a cigarette with your bottle of beer? Is this smoking ban really necessary? No, it really should be the other way round. Tobacco is part and parcel of human existence, so it is only fair that non-smokers should conform to smokers.

But all's well that ends well: a little compromise won't hurt, so I recommend the following solution. Accept the smoker as he is and respect his habit, so he will appreciate you and respect your habits.                                                                                  

Sources: www.todio.nl