Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Don't Smoke Tomorrow - Clean Your Baseboards Instead

Tomorrow is the 33rd Great American Smoke Out Day. It's a day for smokers to stop smoking for one day, in hopes that it will become the first day of a life of not smoking.

Because I'm not a smoker, I've never had to really think about this particular day. My father was a smoker for most of his life, quitting in his retirement years due to health issues. He ended up dying of lung cancer when he was 77. I don't know if his quitting gave him extra years but it did give me several years of not having to breathe his second-hand smoke or deal with telling him not to smoke in my house. I'm mostly thankful that his smoking is one habit I didn't pick up.

Sometimes I wish there were days for abandoning my bad habits, like "Quit Eating Stupid Stuff Day" or "Get Off Your Butt and Jog Day" or "Clean The Baseboards Day." When I think of my bad habits and how hard it is for me to break them, I realize how hard it must be to quit smoking. I admire those people who decide to stop, whether they succeed or continue to stop again and again until it works.

I guess we all have bad habits that need abandoning. Some may be life-threatening. Some may just be annoying. Some may be absolutely revolting. But we know what they are and if we really want to be rid of them. If we do, then we need to get serious, even if we have to get serious all over again every day to make it stick.

We can break that bad habit - we just have to really work hard at it. I haven't bought any of those evil Christmas tree cakes, so maybe there's hope for me after all!

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