IamDoingIt

I'm in!

I think after more than 30 years and not getting enough cigarettes, I will use N.O.P.E.

Hi Babs! I joined the Marine Corps when I was 17 years old. I spend 11 years of my life serving. I look back, and I do not regret one minute of that time. I am now 50. All that training has stuck with me through my life. I went through the first Desert Storm. I can tell you there might be scary times for you and your son. I know my mother worried about me a lot. Hey...that's what moms do! He will learn many things, experience things very few people get to, grow into a responsible, respectable man! There will be times when he hates it. There will be times when you hate it. I can promise you....nothing will bring you more pride than seeing him in his dress uniform. He will enjoy his training (mostly), and he will be able to go a far as his dreams take him. His time served will stay with him the rest of his life. He will learn valuable lessons that most young men never learn. You should hold your head high and be proud your son is serving our glorious country. Do me a favor and shake his hand for me. Tell him, 'Thank you for serving!'

I do not care who you are! You do not just 'Get off the Quit Train....' You throw yourself head-first off a speeding train to land in the track bed below the train. You bounce down the railroad ties, bumping, flipping, twirling after the train. A few of the train's car wheels run you over and you may stick to the steel wheel....spinning 'round and 'round as other riders in the car sit comfortably in their quit. Soon, you are flipped off the wheel. Whew, thank God you didn't die! Well, since you're off the train, may as well have a smoke to get over that horrifying ordeal of hurtling yourself off the quit train. But wait!!!!! The quit train is continuing on without you! WAIT QUIT TRAIN, W A I T ! ! ! ! "I'm back here," you scream at the top of your lungs. Hmm....may as well light up again. This is getting out of hand! You keep taking puffs of cigarettes as you desperately chase after the train. With each puff, you see that train that you were once comfortably setting on, pull a little further away from you. You trip on a rail spike and split your chin on the rail. You dust yourself off and start chasing that train once again. The train is further down the tracks, almost out of sight. You struggle so hard to catch that train but each time you stop to light that cigarette, the train just keeps getting further away from you. Soon, the train is out of sight. You get tired of chasing after the train, so you decide to go back to the depot and wait for the train to pass on the next round. While waiting for the train (what's wrong? It should be here any minute), you buy another pack of smokes. You soon hear the train approach. You hear the whistle in the near distance. You are so excited!!!! To celebrate the arrival of the train, you pull out what you say will be your last cigarette and just as you inhale the first puff, the train amazingly flashes right by the depot without stopping to pick you up!!!! Why?!?!?! Why didn't the train stop for me this time? You ask yourself. Feeling defeated, you go home. On the way home you stop to pick up a carton of cigarettes. If the train will not stop for me, I sure as heck am not going to run out of smokes! You think to yourself. Every once in awhile, you will hear the Quit Train's whistle off in the distance. You remember how nice it was to be on the train. You wish you were still setting with your quit friends talking about every subject under the sun with them. You are envious of the people still on the train. Sometimes, you walk down by the tracks. When the train whizzes by, you get glances of the people inside. Look! There's MarylandQuitter, the Sarge, and Nancy. El Bandito, Beacon, Bakon, PetraD, ChristaC! So many faces you see, you cannot name them all. All the friendly faces who cared about you. You see each and every one of them. They flash by looking so comfortable. You don't see a few faces you expect to see. You wonder where they are. You suspect they did the exact same thing as you. You feel sad for them, but you feel sadder for yourself. A few of those riders (Marti, Ava, and MarylandQuitter) actually reach a hand out to you. As you reach your own hand back out to grab hold, you realize you can't grab hold because that would mean dropping the cigarette you are holding. You drop your head and turn around to go back home, wishing desperately you were on that train with them. You feel so bad you light another cigarette. Perhaps tomorrow, you'll grab hold. The next time you hear the train whistle, you are on the way to the convenience store to get another pack of cigarettes. You listen for a second and continue to the store as the Quit Train whistle dies off in the distance. When you are in your favorite smoking space, you often think of the Quit Train as you take a puff on one of the many smokes of the day. You remember what it was like on the train. You remember the freedom from nicotine you had. Oh, why, OH, WHY did you through yourself off? You ask yourself. Everything starts repeating, over and over....going to the station, watching the train pass, seeing the riders, all while holding a cigarette. Then one day, in whatever manner that happened to work....the stars aligned, the magic spell was cast, the dice were tossed, 7's came up, the moon was full....no matter the reason, things worked to go to the station without cigarettes. You once again make the trek to the station. You anxiously sit in the depot, perhaps even with the lingering smell of smoke on your body. Then you hear the whistle.... It came up very quick. Much quicker than when you were just dreaming and wishing to get on board. The train engine whizzes by the depot. Oh, no! The Quit Train is not going to stop for me again, you think to yourself. Then, as soon as the thought enters your mind, the train slams on the brakes and comes to a screeching halt with the door right in front of you. As soon as you put your foot on the step to enter, the train takes off again. You are back on the Quit Train. Finally!!!!!! You tentatively step through the doorway. Inside you see many faces you know, a few new ones and a few you expected are not there. The emotions on the passengers faces, as they look at you, range from sheer elation to see you, to frowns, and questioning. With a few pats on the back, a few hand shakes, and a few swift kicks in the ass, everyone welcomes you as you set down in a seat. Yes, folks, that is pretty much the journey I took in these last few months, but I am back. I did not get off the Quit Train, I hurled myself off by taking a puff. IamDoingIt is now back.

IAmDoingItIs back in full quit mode!

Okay everyone! Thanks for checking up on me. I'm back at the station.

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I am SOOOOOOooooooo.......... JEALOUS! My dream is to retire, sell the house and the built up crap stuffed inside it, and hit the road! However, the Goldwing has to be on a trailer behind. AWESOME TAC!!!!!!!!!!!

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Quit Buddy, I am right here with you. I fell off the train, and you know that. Now, you fell off the train. Grab my hand and I'll pull you back onboard. You know as well as I do, it's much nicer on the train than off of it. It does get so hard to keep saying no, No, N O, NO G.D. CIGARETTES! They are ubiquitous. They are EVERYWHERE. All it takes is one little moment when we don't say no. So, pick yourself off, dust off your pants, put your hat back on, hold your head high, and GET BACK ON THIS TRAIN. You need not explain yourself to anybody. You already feel terrible. Now, just put out your last smoke and climb aboard. I'm saving your seat whenever you are ready to sit down again. (((((AMY)))))

Welcome Laura! The QuitTrain is the right place to go on the No-Smoking-Trip. Strap in and hold on......the right does get easier.

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Sometimes, it's 'Easy Peasy', other times 'Stand the F*&^ by'.

Welcome Anna! Great decision to get on the QuitTrain! Don't worry about the Sarge, you'll get used to him! ;)

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I remember: Getting our first phone at age 5. Getting our first TV at age 6 (Black and white) with 3 channels to watch. Getting our first Color TV a few years after that (we were uptown then!). We got up in the morning, and if there wasn't school, we were outside until lunch time, then back outside until supper, then back outside until dark. Packs of neighborhood kids having fun. AM radio. McDonalds? Hah! Had to drive 60 miles to a McDonalds. Setting on the front porch in the summertime because there was no airconditioning and it was too danged hot to be inside. Sleeping on the front porch for the same reason. Never heard of a knee replacement. Johny Carson was fantastic. Cars big enough they could make 5 modern cars from just one car from back then. The principle having a BIG paddle with holes in it and not being afraid to use it quite often. If somebody had to 'call your parents', being afraid of going home because of the punishment waiting. Didn't have a single friend who had a bicycle helmet, and each and every one of them still have their brains. Playing in the creek. Making snow forts, snow tunnels, snow men, and sledding down steep hills head first. Ice skating on a frozen lake. Walking to school over a mile away.

Evelyn, this is your permission to do absolutely ANYTHING that is within the bounds of the law and that which will not cause harm to take your mind in a different direction. Do ANYTHING!!!!!

Amy, I am so sorry I have not been around to help with this. I was so elated to read all the way through and see you come out the other side as a nonsmoker. You are living proof that 'THIS TOO SHALL PASS.' All we have to do is wait for that next minute, perhaps the hour, or maybe tomorrow.....but things WILL get better. You are my rockstar!!!!!! WAY TO GO!!!!!

Evelyn, there's a seat right next to me on this train. Set down beside me, and let's ride this out together. I've had so many excuses, it's not even funny. I'm quit and staying quit, just like you!

A bunch of cigars that cannot ever put poisons into anybody's body! So AWESOME MQ!!!!