A Toast To The Quitter

Once the ego is overcome peace follows.

Abdul Jilani
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Have you ever wondered what happens when someone turns away from whatever they have committed themselves to all their lives? It's one thing to say I'm not going to do this or that any more. But what if it is your livelihood, something you have invested all your time and money into, something you are proud of and have a reputation for?

Those of you who don't smoke may think it's a small matter to give up cigarettes, but anyone who has been a seriously addicted smoker knows how tough it is. It's damn near impossible.

Well, Karen, the woman down the street from me has done it. So, that's good, you may say, but what's the big deal? Why am I writing about it? The big deal is that Karen owns the local tobacco shop.

I spoke with her about it yesterday. I told her she had a lot of courage and asked her how she's done it. She said she had her bad moments but that she stays away from the front of the store where the cigarettes are unless she goes there to sell some. She also sells lottery tickets and she's not an addicted gambler so she can hang out around the lottery machine and stay away from temptation. She also said that the hardest time is when she closes up shop in the evening, everyone is gone and she has to resist taking home a pack of cigarettes.

She has my respect and admiration and, even though I smoke like a furnace, my complete support.

But what about the butcher who decides to become a vegetarian, the barber who becomes a hippy and lets his hair grow long, the pediatrician who gets tired of dealing with the "little brats" who come to his office?

I hope Karen will keep selling me my cigarettes since she has the only tobacco shop in town. I told her the story of a brewer I once read about. He was an excellent brewer and very successful. In his mid years he started going to church and stopped drinking. He became a devout Christian and was "saved." Then he was deeply concerned because he didn't think Christ wanted him to be providing alcoholic beverages to the world. But it had been his life's work. He took his dilemma to his pastor who was clearly an intelligent man. The pastor told him to pray and God would provide him with the answer and that in the meantime he should go on brewing the very best beer he could.

I'll drink to that.

DB - The Vagabond
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Weekend Puzzle

2 correct answers so far.

"You want ice with that?"

SD'GD WRAKOH R WDRZ SRAD,

R ZGVBKXRU WDRZ SRAD,

ZWD ZDEBDGRZQGD'C GKCKOH

KZ KCO'Z CQGBGKCKOH,

CWD XDGZRKOUP XRO XRO-XRO.

KGAKOH IDGUKO

Good luck
DB