I truly enjoyed smoking, especially with a cup of coffee. Some of my favorite smoking memories: going for a walk in the country with my best friend in college, walking our dogs, having a smoke and talking; and traveling in Europe and trying all the different cigarettes.
After about 10 years of smoking, cigarettes began to make me ill -- sore throats, nose always stuffed up, coughs. As time went on, I switched to lighter and lighter brands because my body could not take smoking.
I tried off and on to quit over the years because everyone knows if you smoke long enough, you have a good chance of getting cancer.
People quit for different reasons. You have to find your own.
My reason: I told myself it was fine to smoke for pleasure, but cigarettes were making me sick and I could not stop. I told myself I was neurotic -- that if I enjoyed anything else that was making me ill (eating food if I had an allergy, etc.), I would just stop, but I could not with cigarettes.
I was psychologically addicted to cigarettes -- they represented freedom in some way I cannot describe. This is just advertising. Cigarettes are just a dried up plant inside a piece of paper.
Anyway, I did quit for good, 17 years now. I told myself smoking for enjoyment was fine, but I was not able to do that. I had to have a cigarette just to get through the ordinary ups and downs of life, and I refused to be like that. I also enrolled in a smoking program (SmokeEnders) because I knew I could not quit my own, and for 4 months I avoided situations where I would smell smoke and be tempted to start again (SmokeEnders did not tell me do do this -- I did it on my own).
ONLY after I quit for good did my sense of smell start to come back. In all the years I smoked, I HAD NO IDEA how truly overwhelming cigarettes smell, that they smell foul and stick to your clothes and hair. I had no idea at all because smoking kills your sense of smell. When smokers say they can't understand why other people object, it is because smoking has killed their sense of smell and they don't realize it.
I'm happy that you quit smoking. If a person really hates a habit, then give it up. Sometimes, habits are hard to break.
I haven't reached that point yet. I truly enjoy smoking, even after all these years. Coffee and cigarettes. :)
A lot of times I will go to light up and then think 'nah. I really don't want a cigarette right now.' And I put it down.
My sense of smell and hearing are excellent. I guess for some, smoking desensitizes taste and smell, but I haven't noticed any difference. If a food taste good I eat it. And if it doesn't, I don't waste money bringing it into the house. I don't live to eat anyway. :)
But good for you! Thanks for your testimony.