Me and Cigarettes

I smoked my first cigarette when I was about 12 or 13 years old. My older sister and I were visiting our cousins in St. Louis. They were all a little older than me, and since June, my cousin who is my sister's age, was smoking I decided to try it. No big deal. I think I smoked half a cigarette. A couple of years later my dad caught me smoking downtown. I don't even remember where I got the cigarette, but he happened to drive by the intersection where a friend and I were hanging out. I remember coming home on the bus to my mom waiting in the kitchen. She asked me if I had anything to tell her. For the life of me, I had no idea what I was supposed to tell her. She told me that dad had seen me smoking. I'll never forget what she told me. She said "I can't tell you not to smoke, because you've grown up with a mom and dad who smoked." (At that point my dad still smoked, but mom had quit several years before). She did ask me not to smoke in the house. I was never a heavy smoker back then. In fact, I rarely bought cigarettes. I probably smoked less than a pack a year honestly. That's pretty much how it went until 10 years ago or so. I would smoke maybe 10 or 15 cigarettes when we would go visit my in-laws (once or twice a year) - when they lived in Holly Beach, Louisiana or later when they lived in Stroud, Oklahoma. It was relaxing to sit out on the beach with a beer and a cigarette I guess. Again, though, I rarely bought cigarettes. I could take them or leave them. I would sometimes bum one from my younger sister or my sister-in-law when we were all together. Still, I rarely bought them - until about a year ago. I started smoking more - at work especially - where I never smoked before. I was up to maybe 10-15 cigarettes a day. Since they are so expensive, I just decided I was going to quit. So I did. I had my last cigarette on Saturday around noon (with my sister-in-law!) and that was it. I haven't had any cravings for them, which is great! I may still pick one up once in a while when we go out drinking (which is RARE for us), but I don't intend to buy them anymore or smoke them on a regular basis. I'm sure my lungs will be happy!