The Unusual

 I’ve been a smoker for nearly 6 years. I regret that I started and I’ve tried to quit several times but I’ve had no success so far. I know it’s bad for you and I know that it can cause serious illness but at this age I don’t really feel the difference. I keep on telling myself that a time will come when I will quit this once and for all even though I know that there is no perfect time to do this.

People back at home in Bulgaria smoke like it’s a sport and I grew up among them. They enjoy sitting at coffee places with friends gossiping and talking about the stuff that happens in a small city. Smoking cigarettes is a must when drinking a coffee. Americans don’t really do that. They would rather buy coffee in a plastic cup and rush into whatever they are doing. I guess it’s a very European thing, but there is nothing better than spending a lazy afternoon in a coffee/bar with friends after school.

When I was a kid, cigarettes were one of the things that disgusted me the most.  I grew up saying that I would never start smoking and I would never touch a cigarette. My parents are smokers, eventually my brother, who is six years older, became a smoker as well. I was very disappointed when I found out about this. Then high school came. Most of the cool kids were smoking and they were hanging out in groups. I wanted to join these groups because it was so much fun being with them. So one day I decided to light up a cig. I really didn’t like it at first. I thought it tasted like shit, but I was alos thinking that I looked badass when holding it. I hid my smoking from my parents for more than three years. But the more I was growing up the less I cared about what they were going to say.

Smoking cigarettes has its advantages. For me it’s like a 3 minute break from whatever I am doing at that moment. It keeps me relaxed and I get this time with myself in which I think about things that happened in the past or will happen in the future. Every time I get super excited or angry, and the smoke goes down my lungs, it chills me out. There are those times when smoking a cigarette is like getting a massage.

Smoking after eating – Amazing!

Smoking when drinking alcohol – Orgasmic!

Smoking after sex – Effing epic!

Another plus is that I’ve met a lot of people because of my smokes. When I came to Miami I didn’t know a single person. First days here I was sitting outside of the dorms smoking my cigarette in front of Stanford Residential. And guess what? I wasn’t the only one! It was a great chance to meet people and start conversations with strangers.

Sadly, the university banned smoking cigarettes on campus and now they are only designated areas for smoking. But people still smoke where they used to. European people don’t really care about the signs they put on campus. They wouldn’t really bother if someone writes them a ticket for smoking, even though I never heard of such story.

Two days ago, a woman started arguing with me because I was smoking on campus. She was mean and unfriendly. She wanted me to put out my cigarette and I pretended that I did. She left but then she came back all angry. I asked her if she will fine me, and she told me she will call the cops. HAHAHA was my reply! Calling cops for a cigarette…  I said ok, and she was, consider it done! I didn’t expect them to come and of course they never did. But then I started wondering why there are so many people that hate it for nothing. Their life sucks and they try to make everything that is wonderful illegal so that your life will not be any better than theirs.

What was her problem with me smoking outside? Is it because she can smell the smoke of my cigarette? But then does she enjoy it when a shuttle presses the gas and all the black smoke goes in her face? Or when she sits next to a guy who forgot to take a shower and who didn’t change his cloths for the last 3 days. “Smoking cigarettes on campus is illegal!”

Chiiiillll. There are so many other things to worry about.