I'm of the Unhooked Generation

The Unhooked Generation - It's a Matter of Life & Breath - Retro Commercial - Dec 30, 1969 - 4K

"It's a matter of life and breath."

Habits. I've had a few over the years. Caffeine consumption, tobacco, laziness with regards to tidying up. I have managed to knock down the caffeine to about 2 - 2½ cups per day. Fortunately for me, I actually like the taste of water that has nothing added to it.

The number of smokers in my life has dwindled considerably. I still have the chain-smoking friend in San Francisco and at work the only one who comes to mind is the pharmacy technician. I'm pretty sure neither of them wants to quit. I know the San Franciscan was once asked if he had ever tried and he seemed almost proud to say, "No!"

I've quit a few times, but this last time has probably been the longest (23 years). There are times when I see the cigarette and wonder how my body would react to it. Then I think of how easy it would be to convince myself that becoming re-addicted would not happen. Then I think how stupid it would be to even try.

As a healthcare worker, there are things that I can easily monitor. One such thing is the pulse oximetry. Mine is usually between 95-97%. I blame it on the Los Angeles air that I breathe, but I also blame it on the years of inhaling American tobacco products. The damage has been done and even though we are reminded that time heals most of the organs, I question just how busy my lungs are in restoring themselves from whatever evils they had been exposed to over the decades. So I stay clear.