I wish I enjoyed smoking. Everyone you see in movies and TV shows seems to really enjoy it but I guess that’s because you can’t smell the tobacco through the screen. Smoking looks like a fantastically simple activity to make the time go by and it goes with almost everything. Writers of the past have greatly enjoyed smoking; artists seemed to enjoy it for the same reasons. Cops, gangsters, engineers, scientists, and even nine out of ten physicians had a favorite cigarette brand back in the 60s.
And if you want to branch out, there are cigars for special celebrations and pipes for the gentlemen and scholars. Women also had long cigarette holders to add to their sophistication and white-gloved elegance. You could also be a real tobacco enthusiast and roll your own cigarettes. I have also heard cigarettes and coffee go very well together.
From writing stories to investigating the depths of the universe, smoking was an activity once enjoyed by almost everyone. You never saw someone in a film or show smoking and disliking it; it seemed to be the one calming and relaxing activity if not the most enjoyable of their day. If you are stressed, light up a cigarette. Anxious? Calm your nerves with some of Marlboro’s finest tobacco. Want to relax and make your book slightly more enjoyable? Have a Camel cigarette. If it weren’t for the clinging odor, the yellowing of teeth, the toasting of the lungs, the burning of the throat, or the inhalation of poisonous carcinogens that would one day painfully end your life, it sure would be a lovely activity to enjoy.
Drew Schroeder 