Smokers

Is it alarming to anyone else how many people are still smoking? I mean with all that we know about the dangers of tobacco and how it is the most preventable cause of death, you would think people would not want to light up ever. I exclude those people who are of an older generation who thought smoking was glamorous and gave you fantastic skin and hair. But the people of my generation should know better.

Today two things happened while I was walking in the inner city on my lunch break that got me thinking about this.

Incident #1- As I was walking someone drove by and flicked their cigarette butt out of their window. Seriously? Why is that OK? I know these are normally reasonable people who wouldn't dare to litter otherwise but what is it about a cigarette butt that changes these reasonable people into litter bugs? It makes me so mad! Buy an ash tray buddy!

Incident 2- So next to my building their is a senior housing project. They have a little section outside with two lovely tole painted ash trays(everything looks better when it is tole painted you'll find). They all gather out there and talk and smoke, and smoke and talk. I am happy that they have each other at this point in there lives. Again, I don't fault the seniors for smoking because they unfortunately got caught in the lies of the tobacco company all those years ago about how glamorous smoking was, and that tobacco contained essential vitamins for a fit body and a great smile.

Across the street from the sweet seniors is an apartment building that probably needs to be torn down. It look like an old mental hospital with huge window that are covered up by the likes of "My Little Pony" and "Hannah Montana" bed sheets. And no lie they still have smoke stacks, yes, smoke stacks. What? Are we living in a Charles Dickens novel? Who has smoke stacks any more? That was so 100 years ago, get with the times people. I always see shady people going in and out of there. One time I was running on my lunch break and someone pulled out of there in a beat up truck. He offered me his 64 oz Super Big Gulp. When I declined, because you know it is hard to run with a 64 oz Super Big Gulp in you hand, he threw it at me and drove away. True story.

So as I am walking toward the sweet seniors smoking area I see a man leaving the shady apartments heading for the tole painted ash trays. I thought this was going to be trouble so I slowed my pace so I could see what he was doing. Then I saw him rummaging through the ash tray looking for a cigarette that had just enough tobacco left that he could smoke. He found one and lit it up and started smoking and then walked back to his apartment.

You know I would rather walk on my tongue than to criticize others but that cigarette has been in a seniors mouth. And that senior could possibly be caring some serious illness. And now that serious illness could possibly be inside of this stupid man. And now he is going to have to spend his money on doctor bills instead of buying new curtains for his dilapidated apartment.

I know that it is an addiction but there is a line you cross when you have to dig through a senior citizen's tole painted ash tray so you can get your fix for the day. Come on bro' get it together.