It dawned on me one day that smokers are running a racket. Now, don't let me kid you, I was once a smoker. I smoked in the car and after running ambulance calls (I'm a paramedic). I smoked after work. I smoked after sex.
However, there's one thing I noticed as a smoker: I didn't need to stop doing something I enjoyed in order to have a cigarette. I never rolled out of bed during sex and said, "I need a cigarette before I keep going."
I did, however, delay heading out of town on a long distance run -- that I didn't really want to do in the first place -- in order to have a cigarette. My reasoning was that I wouldn't have another opportunity to smoke until we dropped the patient off two hours away.
I would stand around after fighting a fire, which requires wearing a breathing apparatus so one does not inhale toxic fumes and smoke, to have a cigarette. The nonsmokers would get to work rolling hose and cleaning things up while the smokers all propped a leg up on the tailboard of the fire engine to get a fix.
Think about it: Have you ever seen someone leave a concert during their favorite song to light up? Of course, that might be a poor example judging from the air quality at any rock concert I've ever been to. But, how about a movie? Smokers don't head outside for a cigarette during the exciting car chase; they wait for the boring parts.
On the other hand, if you gotta pee, you gotta pee. Most people would rather leave the theater during the part where ET makes the bicycle fly than wet themselves. It's not the same, having a cigarette vs having to relieve yourself.
This blog is my look at motivation. The things we humans choose to do -- especially when we claim we can't help it. We choose play over work and sex over cigarettes. Why?
