Written for RDP, where leapingtoes asks us
to get creative with the words ‘catalyst’.
Thanks, Toes! Here’s my take.
Addictions and Other Fun Things
My husband was a smoker for most of his life, starting as a teenager with unfiltered Camel cigarettes. I was a smoker as well, but quit 35 years ago as part of a bet with a friend. I won! But I digress. Nine years ago, my husband had a freak accident involving a roof and a ladder. He ended up needing surgery for a fractured tibia/fibula, known as a “tib-fib” in medical jargon. After the surgery, he was transferred to the medical center’s rehabilitation facility where he spent the next three weeks. Rehab was a “Smoke-Free Zone”; employees, residents and visitors could not smoke anywhere on the grounds, not even outside. My husband’s stint there was, without a doubt, life-altering …. a catalyst for quitting smoking. Rehab did more than mend his broken bones; he came home (and remains) a non-smoking man.
NAR©2026
This is “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk” by Rufus Wainwright
All text and graphics are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
The Elephant's Trunk 
A blessing in disguise
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It’s a “coincidence” how a serious incident became the “catalyst” for a change in ‘smoking habits’ … Carole used to smoke, until she found out that she had “MS”; she stopped the next day … and ‘Rufus” is another fav’ of mine …
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The world keeps getting smaller, dear friend. 🥰🌎🎶🚬🌏💛
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🩷
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Unintended but miraculous consequence.
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A lesser man would have walked. Thanks, D!
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Hubby and I quit the week before we got married ion 1991 so that we started married life as non smokers. At over £15 for a pack of twenty, we couldn’t afford to smoke now even if we wanted to.
Congrats on giving up.
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It is exactly the same as burning a $20 bill every day, maybe twice a day. Why would anyone do that?
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Exactly.
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My husband smoked for 40 years–starting as so many here, as a teenager. He quit over 10 years ago, but too late. Emphysema is not pretty. Three breathing treatments cannot unfix the problem.
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Nope. My dad had emphysema and bronchitis; I remember his struggle. Thanks, Lois.
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Next month concludes my 1st smoke-free decade, leaving behind unfiltered Camels that I started at age15 (ie 60 yrs ago). Thanks for sharing and best wishes to both of you.
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Congrats, Ron. There are times after 35 years when a craving will still sneak up on me. It passes quickly but never fails to remind me just how insidious it is. A disgusting habit to be well-rid-of. Thanks and best wishes to you.
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I developed a bad cough from smoking too many cigarettes and I bought a pound of weed so when I wanted a cigarette, I just rolled up a joint and that is how I was able to quit.
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That’s a very novel approach, Jim. I can’t imagine the weed was good for your cough.
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The weed made me cough more, but I wasn’t able to smoke it every place that I went to, so that weened me off of cigarettes.
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Thats a great double whammy!!
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You’re not kidding, sis!
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