Untainted

Recently I chanced upon this friend's blog, let's just call this person A and assume this person is a she.

She admitted she was a smoker on the blog, claiming it's for the first time.

Although we weren't and aren't close friends, it hurts me to know that another friend has subjected to smoking. It always does.

All in the name of stress.

There are certain things people do that i might never understand. I never will.

Smoking is one of them.

I once talked to my dad about my hatred for cigrattes, and i still do. My dad admitted to smoking when he was in the army, he said most of them smoked, so he followed suit. So is it following blindly or succumbing to peer pressure?

He then explained that army life is tough, and a puff of the white and brown roll takes the stress off for that moment. I can picture how tough army life is just by imagining, but is it right to smoke? A definite 'no', I should say. "Excuse!" was what i replied.

Thank Guan Yin Niang Niang, Thank Ye Ye, Thank Mum, Thanks to every god, everyone, and anyone, that my father quit smoking when he decided to marry my mum for the sake of everyone's health. I'm truly grateful, thankful, beholden, gratified, indebted, much obliged, pleased, that my dad did a sensible thing after making a senseless mistake. I love my dad for who he is now.

Did you know I used to dislike my Dad's mum just because she smoked in the past? Yes, i did. Since young, i hated the behaviour of smoking. Everytime she smoked, i would run to the room, to the toilet, to the playground, in fact, anywhere, except the living room filled with smelly smoke. Now that she quit smoking for health reasons for over a decade, i'm starting to like her, starting to understand her, starting to get close to her. I'm even making an effort to brush up my Cantonese in order to be able to converse with her. I realise, i do like her now.

When smoke from my neighbours' residence float to mine, my brother will close the door immediately, hating the smell as well.

Sometimes it takes a child to differentiate what's right and wrong.

I''m not saying people who smokes are all baddies, I fully understand there are plenty of nice and kind people who, unfortunately smokes. I've met plenty, and nothing you say can make them stop smoking. If it's a person you've respected, it's even more heart-breaking for there'll always be a blemish in my view of that person, even though i know for real that the person is a good person.

The main reason why I first starting hating smoke was because of my sensitive nose. My poor nose can't handle the smoke, it doesn't want to and doesn't find a reason why it should. When i grew up, knowing the harmful effects of smoking only grew my hatred for it.

I've tried, and I've failed. Since nothing i say staggers their determination to kill themselves and their loved ones earlier, what else can i say?

I'm only thankful that my close family members and close friends do not smoke. Thank you for keeping my lungs and your lungs free of unwanted dirty tar. Thanks, i really appreciate your wise judgement of not smoking or have given up smoking.

Lastly, i wish for the ban on smoking to be enforced worldwide, especially in enclosed areas, and where children are present, even in clubs where untainted lungs want to have some fun too.

People question why is smoking wrong? Well, they know the reasons themselves, so there's no need to ask an obvious question.

Thank you for reading.

Just my cents worth.

Til then folks...;) Cheers to healthy lungs!