Dirty, Dirty Smokers

The Quit family series
highlights how smoking can impact your family and is made possible by
Quit Victoria. Smoking doesn’t
have to kill you to have an enormous impact on you and your family.
You CAN Quit. Make an appointment with your GP or meet Mick to learn more.

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Blogging in my undies last week, I got a comment from a regular RRSAHM reader named Paul who, lucky man, lives in Melbourne.

I spoke in my BodyLove post about the rampant abuse I sometimes inflict on my body, and how well it copes. Paul had this to say...

And, not judging ( and I'm a non smoker, ex athlete, who use to love smokey live music venues mind you, and still does, if I could find one now it's illegal ), but are you not concerned the heavy smoking will have a big bad effect at all one day ?

YOU have talents and good things to offer to the world, and your kids, and your grandkids. How much of a gamble are you willing to make on that ? Bloody good question Paul. It's one that, back in the Purple Before, kept me awake at night. Different things keep me awake at night now.

My mate Emma Sbrain and I. Don't we look cool? Not... really. OK then.

Most parents who smoke get it, I'm sure. All parents are aware of it, somewhere. But smokers more so because, as much as we laugh about it and try to ignore and pretend that the health risks of smoking are embellished if not outright lies.... as much as we do all that, we still know that smoking kills. And it kills you when you're young, and it's fast and painful.

And that question hangs in the back of your mind... What would happen to my children, if I died? How would I cope?

I watch clips like this one with Mick Roberts from Quit and I shudder. 49 years old. My children would be 23 and 21. And that's not fair.

Especially for me, for us. And once again, I feel like a dick saying that, but it feels that way... especially for us. My children have already lost one parent. The odds are against them. My being a smoker stacks those odds again.

I know that might strike people as odd, but truly that's the way it is. I love my children desperately, but that's not my primary reason for not wanting to go and die. It's just that it would be so unfair, so unjust. Putting them on a back foot in the world, before they've even begun. It would leave them as orphans.

And that's just the end result. Before that, there's be something akin to what I wrote about, with the relief of someone dieing... taking care of me, with me unable to take care of myself. Attached to an oxygen tank. Having to sleep sitting upright because I will drown in the fluid on my lungs if I don't. I've seen it happen. I wouldn't wish having to watch that on my kids. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

So, I guess in answer to your question Paul... yep. I think about it. I have attempted to quit, back in the Before. And thanks to various events and happenings, it's on my mind again.

Let me think about this one, jellybeans. I'll keep you posted.

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