Me and Merci started smoking when we were 14 years old – summer of ’66. A couple of nights a week we would walk as fast as we could to The Village. On the way we would chip in .25 cents each and by a pack of Taryton – that’s right, the I’d rather fight than switch smokes. 
When we got to the Village we would go into the Cafe Wha? or The Cock n’ Bull, order a cherry coke and have a smoke or two. I don’t remember if we inhaled at that time or not, probably not. But oh did we feel cool…..so very cool……bell-bottoms, beads and everything. Then like Cinderella we would run back home to make our 9 pm curfew.
Merci had a baby boy in February 1977 and in November 1977, I had a baby girl – a very good year in deed. During our pregnancy we both stopped smoking and using extra sugar and salt.
I thought I would go back to all three after my daughter was born – I only went back to one – smoking. Bad idea. During those years we both would quit and then start up again for one reason or another. But we never gave up and always encouraged each other.
Thank God it has been 20 years plus since we had a last cigarette – it was not easy – as you know – but it has to be one of the best decisions we ever made. Please stop smoking – November 17, today, is The Great American Smokeout – plan to be a part of it – know that you are not alone and that you can beat smoking. Alot of people love you and need you to stick around for all the times ahead. Do it for them – do it for yourself.
ls – for more information visit:
http://www.lungusa.org/stop-smoking/