Quit Smoking!

My non-smoking editor has given me the most challenging assignment of my career: To quit my 30-plus year nicotine addiction. And to write about it.

Naturally, my first reaction was #*&%$#!!!!%. It's not that I haven't tried to quit smoking. Boy have I tried. Each time I start out feeling optimistic but nervous, the optimism quickly fades as I become a little cranky, then a lot cranky until finally I turn into a venom-spewing, head-spinning character out of the Exorcist (well, maybe not literally). That's when I cave and light a cigarette.

It's not that I don't recognize the danger--we all know the litany of health risks associated with smoking: Heart disease, lung disease, a variety of cancers and increased risk of stroke to name just a few. Then there's the expense. It's obscene. Where I live, cigarettes cost $5.75 a pack. I smoke at least a pack and a half a day. I'm no math wiz, but I know my habit adds up to thousands of dollars a year. And, oh yeah, cigarettes are gross! No wonder those of us who still smoke sneak our cigarettes, we hide our habit so we don't have to answer to those who ask "Oh, you still smoke?!" I can't ever imagine that cigarettes were ever seen as glamorous.

So I have accepted the challenge, bring on the assignment. This time will be different. I can do this. I will do this.

I AM A QUITTER! That's my new mantra.

That's right, I am a quitter and I have been since I was a child. I quit the girl scouts, summer camp, and piano lessons before the age of 10. In high school I quit the drama club, the ski club, a few boyfriends and my job at the yogurt shop. I quit both my first attempt at college and my first marriage. I'm happy to report that in both cases, the second time was the charm.

So, it's just taken me a few hundred more times to get it right with smoking. And here's one big difference: In past attempts I've tried to quit on my own. This time I'm inviting ThirdAgers on the journey with me. Send me your comments, tell me your stories, together maybe we can kick this habit. For good.

In case your support isn't quite enough, I've made an appointment with a hypnotist, I am quite optimistic. Really.

I will keep you posted as I attempt to stamp out my cigarette habit. I can do it. After all, I am a quitter.