Smoking Outside

One of my best friends at school's father was a senior officer in the Air Force, later on whenever I visited there he would forbid me from going outside to smoke, he insists I smoke there in the living room. Allthough his house was always spotless he would even bring me an ashtray himself. He smoked too when young.

Delinquent teenagers his son and I and some buddies got drunk a few times misbehaving ourselves badly but my friend doesn't smoke now nor drink either. He didn't like it. He did very well for himself after school with a career in the fire brigade.

On the other hand my own dad said we must say if we wanted cigarettes there was always in his cupboard, the main thing was he did not want us to steal. My father's dad did the same with them. Also handed me a beer and cheers. Smoking cigarettes is the surest sign of a misspent youth.

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There was another man a true gentleman who did the same, insisted I smoke inside even brought an ashtray himself and said as much. A formidable man as an academic and professor, highly regarded church leader and had been active in politics. I was treated very well by this family. He had also smoked in the past.

Once I said to his daughter “I have great respect for your father”. She answered “So do I” which I thought was a very nice thing to say I would like to be like this.

I do not smoke I stopped seven years ago. It is a highly addictive narcotic you can't expect anybody just to stop at the drop of a hat. The cravings can be terrible but actual physical withdrawals really not so severe.