There’s a little tearing, a little crying, and more than a little yelling at the clouds. Because smoke tends to cloud your better judgment. The reason I don’t smoke, aside from the negative heath effects, is that I’m cool enough without it. It’s not that smoking is cool, it’s that people who smoke think they’re cool. They’re covered by a thin veneer of ash.
This is why young men join the fire department in the first place. It’s a way to be noticed, to stand out. Are there other occupations where after a hard day’s work you have a distinct aroma? Indubitably. But few kids are clamoring to be fishmongers when they grow up.
People who smoke every day know that their addiction isn’t cool. They were disabused of that years ago after too many morning coffee fits and the inability to endure long flights without shaking. But newbies are still in that phase of coolness, where they feel smoke gives them newfound authority. A little smoke and everyone’s suddenly an expert in forest management, climatology, meteorology, and charcoal grills. A few wheezes and they’re at the ready with a ten thousand word think piece on gas stoves.
Let’s get one thing straight. A couple days of smoke doesn’t make you the Fonz.
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