1826 smoke-free days ago

Thursday, July 26, 2007 by Dave Winer.

On this day five years ago I wrote an open letter to people "who send emails to people quitting smoking that explain how hard it is to quit, and how in all likelihood, you'll fail."  

I was 42 days into my life as a non-smoker. And I had become a support person in the cause of smoking cessation. I wanted everyone, esp smokers, to know that it's easy to quit smoking. Because smoking, after the physical dependence is gone, is all in your mind. If you believe it's easy to quit, it is.  

In fact, as I discovered later, it's easier to not smoke than it is to smoke. You don't have to go to the store, buy cigarettes, find an ashtray (and keep it empty), find a lighter (and maybe buy a new one when you lose it), light the damn thing and breathe through it for a few minutes. And in 10 minutes or so you have to do it again. All those things you have to remember to do. Much easier to just blow it off.  

PS: It's now 1868 days since I quit. Not one cigarette in all that time. And it gets easier every day.