Thoughts of an Urban Houstonian

I have been thinking a lot about the new smoking ordinance. I was quoted in the Houstonist about my thoughts on the matter, and even got into a nice heated discussion on the topic in their comments section. Through it all, I have started thinking that maybe my true feelings on the issue are not very clear. Kinda like a carbon copy; the form is there, but it’s just a little fuzzy.

That said, I figure the first “new” Thoughts of an Urban Houstonian should cover this controversial topic that is pretty much on the minds of many Houstonians as I write this. I am writing this particular post in the comfortable confines of Agora; a place that I was most excited about going smoke-free. I was in the process of making myself a regular here, but found that I came out of it smelling too much like an ashtray. It’s funny, as a smoker, I never really gave it much thought. Now, as a non-smoker who has regained a more refined use of his sense of smell, the wreak of cigarette smoke in my clothes can literally gag me.

It is at this time that I should point out that I spent yesterday evening in the company of friends at Rudz, on the patio, while they smoked away. You see, I do not have a problem with people who smoke, even if they must partake in front of me. Since I have quit, many of my smoking friends have stopped to ask me if it was alright before they lit up. I have always encouraged them to smoke in front of me. As far as I am concerned, it’s better for me to be as comfortable as possible around people who smoke; makes me feel like I have truly made it, and I never want to be one of those obnoxious non-smokers who has nothing but pity and derision for smokers. I do know how it feels, after all.

So no, I do not like smelling like cigarette smoke, but I also have no problem being around smokers. So back to Agora. I really LOVE this place. It just has this kind of mysterious intrigue that you cannot get from other places like it in Houston. Plus, BIG BONUS, they have a nice wi-fi hook-up. Still, I haven’t been coming here as much simply because of the whole cigarette thing. Now I am sitting here, in the midst of many years of smoky nights, and it’s no different. There is a slight hint of air freshener in the air. I am going to assume that it is a factor in them trying to erase the aforementioned history of the place. Still, the energy of the place is unchanged. The waitress cum bartender was just as delightful, and even carded me when I ordered my glass of wine! So the apparent need for smoking to be necessary for places to retain their “smoking ambiance” appears to be quite dead in the water from my point of view. Agora, in my opinion, would have been a place that would have quickly degraded if that were to be true.

Of course, you have to understand the mind of a smoker to understand why anyone would suggest such a silly notion. The biggest hurdly any smoker has when they are confronting the notion of quitting is fear. The fear of not being able to make it through the day without a single cigarette. The fear of not being able to be themselves without a cigarette there as their ubiquitous prop. It is the part-time smokers, those that claim, “I only smoke when I drink,” that will be hurting the most initally. They refuse to call themselves smokers, but now have had their normal outlet for nicotine cut off. Many of these folks will start smoking at home, others will successfully be able to break the habit. It is those people who belong to the former group that will most miserable. They will, after all, have to come to grips with the reality they they are smokers; something they are unwilling to admit otherwise. For the record, if you smoke even one cigarette a month, you are a smoker. That is something you should ask a friend the next time they pull the “only smoke while I drink defense”, why not admit you are a smoker, there’s nothing wrong with it. I actually had a friend of mine who responded, “I don’t like labels.”

So where in the hell am I going with this? I’m not really sure, I guess my first goal is to show that I am not someone who hates smokers, but rather understands them better than they might want to admit. Smokers are not not bad people either. The mantra of the non-smokers is that smokers are weak minded people who do not care about their health, not to mention having a total apathy for others. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, I would count smokers among some of my most respected and loved friends. I’ve also said that if you refuse to associate with smokers, it’s your loss not their’s. There is also that myth that smokers are more fun. Sorry, can’t say that either. Again, it goes down to the person, not the habit. It’s like saying people that bite their nails are not cool because they don’t have perfectly manicured nails.

Believe me, I just got a manicure and pedicure Friday afternoon, and there was one heinous bitch getting her nails done while my friend and I waited our turns. In the end, the whole smoker vs. non-smoker argument is ridiculous. In the end, all you have is two groups of people acting contrary to their true colors over the defense or attack on a fucking cigarette. I mean, get a grip people!

Of course, neither side makes it easy for the other. Smokers have been crying out for their “rights”. What they fail to recognize is that they can still smoke, just not in public places. They even seem to suggest that their right to smoke supercedes your right to breath clean air. Non-smokers have little to no respect for the adiction of smoking. They see weak minded people who are hell bent on making other people sick with their habit. They are both equally irrational and we all know the worst thing in the world is an irrational Houstonian, right?

I think it is also important to know about the smoker’s game of Jump the Ship. You see, all smokers, whether they care to admit it or not, are secretly waiting for the moment when they will jump off the smoking ship. However, the rules of the game require that you hold on as long as possible without being the last person on the boat. Now, play the fear of quitting against the fear of being the last proverbial smoker, and you have yourself a pretty intense personal fight. A non-smoker will thumb their noses at such a battle. “It’s a deadly, disgusting habit, it should be so easy to quit.” Call the -ance stance; nothing but arrogance and ignorance. Imagine it, someone who has never touched a cigarette, professing to know what it’s like to smoke a cigarette.

In the end, I would really like to see non-smokers drop their position of moral superiority. Being a non-smoker does make you a winner in life or anything else. As for smokers, most will readily admit that their habit is unhealthy and will likely take their lives. That said, get over it and yourselves. You know it’s unhealthy, and you cannot continue to ignore the fact that your habit does harm to others, and it must continue to be limited to protect the greater good. Sorry, that is the best I could come up with. I do realize that I do sound pretty morally superior. It is not my intention.