Reformed Smoker

I used to smoke cigarettes... it's been 10 yrs this month since I stopped.  It was one of those things I wanted to try but knew I would hate.  Yeah, that didn't work so well considering I smoked for 8 yrs!

The summer before I started high school I tried cigarettes & beer.  Little did I know at 14yrs old that it was the beginning of a wild ride!

I was one of the "rebellious" kids in high school, maybe I was breaking away from my nerd image, maybe it was the freedom of getting away from conformed religion, maybe it was other stuff I'd rather not mention.  Anyway, it was who I became for a long while. 

I was the teen that took bathroom breaks and came back reeking of smoke.  How did I really believe no one noticed, ha-ha?  Smoking in the school bathroom caused a lot hassles for me, like numerous visits to the office & a big fine!

But those hassles were also pretty funny memories (later).  One time we were all piled up in the handicap stall and of course the cigarette had just been passed to me when one of the teachers (possibly school cop - it was a long time ago) busted us.  There was little I could do, it was obviously in my hand.  So like any other rebel, of course, I blew the smoke in her face and took my punishment.

Or the time the teacher made me wet the cigarette and take it to the office as evidence.  Have you ever smelled a wet cigarette butt, ugh?  For some reason admin wasn't available, I sat there for ages stinking up the office, re-explaining my story to every adult that walked in, and eventually tossed it and returned to class (just can't remember if I actually got detention or not). 

The best was when they busted me for the umpteenth time and were finally sick of it.  They sent me to court and hit me with a fine.  In order to repay the fine my mom found the worst job around, I was forced to work at a fish farm in the weekends vacuuming poop & muck from the tanks.  I made more than enough money to repay the fine but my mom kept the leftover money.  (And despite being rebellious I was also a hard worker and the farm kept me on for a while, I think it was possibly one of my first jobs.)

Times have changed since I was in high school and obviously I have too.  Just wonder what the kids actually get away with these days?  Some things don't change though, I still occasionally walk up on the teens smoking in the woods across from the high school where I walk my dog.  We've even seen them time when the teacher walks by and they slip away for a quick puff, ha-ha!  I guess not everything has changed.

Did any of you smoke cigarettes in high school?  Any of you reformed smokers?  (And yes, I did find a clip from Full House, have to love & hate the 90's!)

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica