This cartoon could have been taken from my real life.
When I was six we were at the family farm in Manitoba, halfway between the thriving metropolis of Vita and Sundown. My relatives were all making hay bales and me and my cousin were hanging around the house.
My Baba was clearing room in the fridge and gave my cousin and I a huge tray of carrot cake with that thick cream cheese icing and a big bottle of cream soda. Of course we finished that off in no time. Feeling good about myself I walked back to the house.
My Dad was sitting on the stoop smoking a cigarette and I asked him if I could have one. "Sure" he said. "I have been waiting for you to ask me." He showed me how to hold the smoke and we went through a few dry runs before he lit it. I remember him telling me how much he envied me because there was nothing better than that first puff.
He brought the flame to my cigarette and not wanting to disappoint my Dad I must have inhaled half that smoke into my lungs. Things suddenly didn't seem quite 'right'. The next second - BOOM!! - out came a massive puke torrent of carrot cake and cream soda.
I laid on the couch for two days with a wet rag on my head asking him over and over again, "Why did you do that to me? I thought you were suppose to love me?"
I guess I should feel good that he didn't mock me for getting fooled but chose to turn the whole thing into a teachable moment. On that day I learned how much I shouldn't want to smoke a cigarette ever again and how it was a terrible addiction.
It was a mental memory that sticks with me to this day. I can be in a bar with alot of smoke and I will actually taste carrot cake and cream soda in my mouth even though I hadn't eaten them. To this day I CAN'T eat them.
A good lesson. He baited the hook and I bit it..HARD. Thanks Dad.
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7 comments:
I sort of wished my Dad would have done that to me. I finally kicked the habit November 18 2002.
Sorry you can't eat carrot cake and drink cream soda anymore.
No big deal. If that is the trade off not to be chained to those smokes I can live with it. Cream soda is gross anyways.
Likewise...I wish my Dad had done that. He was a smoker, got the habit in WWII. They actually gave the crew of the bomber he flew in free Lucky Strikes, and he smoked from then until he quit in 1998. Too late cause he died of emphysema in 2001. I quit about a year ago, but after smoking for 30 years, my lungs are in sad shape. The 25 years of pot smoking probably didn't help either.
You had a great Dad, Cal. The best way to teach is with the example.
All I can remember about my first smoke, is that afterwards I wanted some fritos and a popsicle.
Oh, you were talking about cigarettes?
.......
seriously, that was a great object lesson by your dad. Even better because it worked!
We all know that the pot only extended our lives guys.
He told me later, F.I., that he waited a long time for me to come to him and ask for the smoke so I was hooped before I was born.
Good job, Dad. It's a filthy evil habit and yes I have it and I sure wish I didn't, sometimes. My sister just quit and she actually had to take vacation days so she wouldn't kill anyone in the office.
Loving that Sam knows the exact day.
True story - my aunt was down visiting my parents recently and she and my dad agreed that the minute they are diagnosed with anything terminal, they're going to start smoking again that very day...that tells you something!
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