I want to share an experience I recently had after almost 3 1/2 years of not smoking. I had just gotten to work and had joined a co-worker looking over a new Mini Cooper parked next to the building. He was smoking, so I positioned myself upwind from him.

We were standing on a sidewalk just a couple of feet from the building and there was a slight breeze coming from our right. In a few minutes, the owner of the car walked up. She'd been a ways away having her own smoke break. Of course, she approached from my right so now I was between them.

The breeze shifted and the smoke from both of them came right at my face. Usually, smoke stinks to high heaven, but on occasion I perceive it as pleasant. This was one of those occasions. But what was really interesting was how my brain reacted to this unexpected, light dose of nicotine. If you can imagine brain cells jumping up and cheering, doing the wave, and dancing in the streets with reckless abandon then you will have a pretty good picture of what went on in my head for several seconds.

There was no crave, nor desire, nor longing for a smoke, just a momentary party deep within my grey matter. That's the only way I can explain it. It serves as an excellent reminder that addiction is a life-long issue that can be awakened at any moment, and we must be ever vigilant against it. As Thomas Jefferson said, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

Blessings, everyone. Keep up the great quits.
Shevie