Twisted Musings

Where there’s Smoke…..

I’m single, retired, and I hate to cook.  Most days, I would drive to one
    of the local restaurants, eat breakfast, and then linger over coffee, smoking
    a small cigar and reading the daily newspaper.  The waitresses knew me
    by name, and we were like family.

    I don’t go out for breakfast anymore.  A couple of years ago, the State
    of Florida passed No Smoking laws that forever changed my routine.
    Breakfast is not nearly as enjoyable if I can’t linger over coffee with my
    cigar and newspaper.

    Of course, I’m not alone.  There are still millions of us that still find
    tobacco use enjoyable.  And why not?  Tobacco is still a legal product,
    and while there are reams of statistics showing that tobacco is not
    good for your health, to many of us it’s still a personal choice, isn’t it?
    And isn’t that what America’s all about – personal freedoms, the right
    to the pursuit of happiness, and all that?

    I’m not advocating that people who do not prefer to inhale second-hand
    smoke should be forced to do so.  But why should those of us who want
    to smoke be treated like second-class citizens?  Why can’t a business
    post a sign ‘Smoking Permitted’ on their entrance doors, and allow
    customers to decide whether they want to come in or not?  Why is
    the law tilted so far that no one, anywhere, in any public place, is
    allowed to enjoy their habit?

    Rush Limbaugh warned of this years ago.  He predicted that far-left
    groups would gain strength in getting laws passed under the guise of
    ‘for the common good’ with the ultimate goal of pushing our country
    towards socialism.  And he was certainly right on the money.

    So, now I  have breakfast at the computer, where I linger over coffee
    with a small cigar while I read the newspaper on the internet.  It’s
    ok, but it’s not nearly as enjoyable as when someone else was doing
    the cooking.