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Make a List: My True Friends are Non-Smokers

by Edward Mwenda Elijah

Nairobi,
Kenya

I started smoking in 1991 and stopped for 2 years in 1996 to 1998 whereby I found myself picking the habit once more until last month when I said enough is enough- This time for GOOD. I have been stopping once in a while but not with great commitment like the one I have now. I made up my mind on the eve of 21st. July 2000 after getting drunk carelessly and smoked one packet that night only. I felt so sorry for myself and asked myself so many questions like :- 1. How have I benefited from this habit. 2. How many people do I hurt everyday? 3. I knew I am not doing justice to my body since I had medical problems which I believe was associated with my smoking habit. Why smoke anyway? no good answer was forthcoming. I wrote reasons why I must quit on a small peace of paper which fits in my warret and whenever I feel like smoking I read through all the reasons as I had stated why I must stop smoking, even before going through all of them I find myself hating to smoke even more. 5. My smelling senses are back and I am enrolled in Lawn Tennis lessons. 6. I take things positively and if the urge come I negotiate with it just like talking to somebody else. I can ask the urge something like" I thought we decided to quit once and for all and no turning back, why are you coming back sir, You see now I can breath properly, are you not happy for this? Look at the saving I have made so far, Next weekend my family and I will be in Nairobi National Park using this saving. I wanted to be prayed in the church I attend but I felt that I should explore my internal powers first before going public. This is a big challege in that whenever I imagine telling the church to pray for me so that I do not smoke anymore, I feel I should be able to handle this small problem by myself since it only a self control game and I should pray to my God alone and explain my problems to Him. I think the big task is over since I think I am now not nicotin dependent anymore and the fight is directed on the way to avoid traps by my enemies of developments and self discipline/control to manage the entire withdrwal and the spirit to maintain a non smoking life. The support I get from my children and my wife is great. I am able to kiss them freely without being worried by the bad smell of cigarrette in my mouth. Constant headaches are thing of the past."thanks goodness" I informed my friends (non smokers) who were generally very happy for me. My smokers friends are not happy and I know it, we have lesser and lesser things to share with days and I think I might be having only non-smokers as my true friends. You are free to edit this letter if you wish to publish or circulate it but without altering the original ideas.