It is not that I hate smokers, I just hate it when they smoke. I have friends who smoke but I don't hate them. In fact I love them (not in the weird way). I just hate it when they smoke. Especially in front of me. I hate the smell and EVERYTHING that comes with it and I told my boyfriend that if he ever as much as lifts a cigarette, he and I are done. I don't bother to hide my disgust for smoking but before I begin, I will tell you about my father. Maybe that way you'll understand why I hate smoking so much.
I was just 11 years old when I got the news my father had lung cancer. Back then I didn't really know the severity of it. Well, I was just a kid. I just knew it was bad. How bad it was, I didn't even know. Even the doctors couldn't tell how he got lung cancer since my father had a clean bill of health before that. He never touched a cigarette in his life but I had a good idea why he developed lung cancer. You see, my dad was an operations manager in a shipping company and he was awesome at it. In fact, his workers loved him. He always gave them extra money and of course like any good boss (he wasn't the boss, but he was in charge of them) he hung out with them. Most of them smoke. I know because I visited his office quite a lot with him and I saw them in "action".
I have a photographic memory. I could remember almost every inch of the entire floor his office was on. From his messy tiny office covered entirely with papers, a computer, chairs with wheels, the window that overlooked the other desks for the other staff, the grey waste paper bins. I also remember the waiting room when my dad realized he would take long and told me to take a nap. It had maroon sofas. Not comfortable but still pretty soft. The room had a black rectangle coffee table and the wooden cupboards were either light coffee brown or maroon with marble patterns. From his office, he had another window overlooking the driveway of the building and from the window I could see the zinc roofed carpark. It was a small ramshackle carpark since not many people in the building owned cars. Only the boss and my dad owned a car. I also remember seeing my broken little bicycle there. I never knew why or how it had got there but I remember it. I could still find my way around that floor of the building if you asked me to. I remember the toilets were close to the staircase and I had to walk past both the boss' offices to get to it. I didn't mind though. They liked me and I still visit them on occasions. They'd ask me about school, smile at me and offer me sweets. I remember the cleaning lady too. Quiet and old and she was surprised I was my father's daughter only because I rolled my eyes at her. My dad was too nice to roll his eyes at anyone. I also remember playing the little things people placed on their desks. I loved it. I felt like the boss there. Especially since the actual boss let me do whatever I wanted. I even walked into the meeting room once and skipped around till it was in use. I guess they partially let me do whatever I wanted because I was just a little kid. Not so little anymore though. However, I also always remembered the carpark or whatever that rickety corner was had the stale "aroma" of smoke. My dad's workers always hung out there in the shade to smoke.
I know I seem like I am going no where with such a long story but you have to know how much I loved my dad before you can understand why I even wrote this. Anyways, since they were smoking all the time and my dad was good to them, he must have evidently breathed second hand smoke. I don't hate them really. I just hated that my father had lung cancer and later on pass away because of their actions.
Of course good things came out of it. We spent more time together since he didn't have to work so much and he turned his life to Christ which was the best thing ever. At least I knew he is in heaven. Right. Back to my point. My dad left me when I was 12. Even before I graduated from primary school. He never got to see me finish high school and it really sucks. However, it caused me to hold my breath when I pass someone smoking and tell my friends never to smoke in front of me. I know it's cliche but I want to get married have kids and watch them grow up. I never want my children to grow up with one parent because the other died of lung cancer. In my terms, cancer is the worst way to go. It is slow and painful. I saw it in my dad's eyes even though he tried his best to mask it.
I still miss my dad. No matter what happens no one can replace him. I still tell everyone about my dad as if he is alive, using present rather than past tense. Saying my dad IS awesome because he always will be. Don't sympathize me or pity me. I'm really good. It is comforting to know he is heaven. I just miss my dad and wished he'd have at least stayed longer to let me show the best dad ever to everyone.
Rather than seeking your pity, I want you to think. Think about everyone you love. Or you know what? Everyone around you. Whether you loved them or not. If you are a smoker you are harming yourself. That is really fine because when you chose to smoke you knew the consequences. Schools always tell us about it. However, when you smoke don't smoke around people who don't take it up. Even if they don't mind. They would mind it a lot when it starts to hit home. I don't like smoking partially because of the smell, partially because of the side effects but mostly for personal reasons and values.
I have good friends who understand that. Friends who would make sure I walk far ahead of them before they lit the cigarette. Friends who curb their smoking urges around me. Friends who would warn me to stay far. Friends who don't mind me avoiding them while they have a smoke. All these things they do don't make me hate smoking any lesser. In fact, if it is possible I think they should have a smoking room everywhere so they won't affect everyone else. Also, it doesn't make me think smoking is good. It is both a moral thing and a health thing.
They say second hand smokers have it worse. So please try your best not to smoke in front of anyone who doesn't do it too. Don't get angry when they hold their breaths or walk far away from you. They are someone's child, someone's father/mother, someone's wife/ husband... the people who love them would be affected the most. So please?
I know this isn't one of my lighthearted posts about my silly opinions on every little thing but I have been thinking about writing this for a while and I felt it was finally time I shared the real reason why I hate smoking so much. I have no qualms about you harming yourself. I have something against you harming someone else's loved one. Or even worse. Your own. Their hearts would shatter if something terrible happened to you. I even asked why cigarettes weren't banned. It would save so many others' lives. Something to do with the economy yada yada.
I guess this is one of my opinions that I really want people to take seriously. So do ponder about it. Like I said, "I don't hate the smokers. I just hate it when they smoke.".
( I know I repeated myself a lot but I just wanted to get my point across.)
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