In the 70's as a new HS band teacher I would work myself up trying to get the kids to do what I wanted and then retreat to the staff room for a relaxing debriefing smoke. Then they outlawed smoking in the staff room. No big deal, I had an office so I could debrief there. Of course I lost my regular interaction with the other staff members and became a little lonely but I really needed those little mini-vacations in the form of a relaxing cigarette. Then they outlawed smoking in the entire school. Oh well, I guess I will just go out to my car between classes and hope the students don't wreck the room in my absence. It's pretty hot in the car in the summer though and really cold in the winter (I'm in Ottawa). I also felt pretty weird sitting in my car in the parking lot but I didn't have to think about that for very long because then they banned smoking in the parking lot. Good grief! It's like they have a vendetta against me. For the rest of my tenure I would drive around during my breaks and lunch hour while my students looked after themselves in the music room. Surprisingly they pretty well took it over with their own interpretation of what music should be. Anyway I had been progressively isolated and disenfranchised so I finally just quit (teaching). Luckily this process took 30 years so I had a pension.
After ten years of retirement, smoking in my garage and out my bedroom window, leaving restaurants and people's dinner parties hours before it was polite to do so and generally turning into a smoking hermit I stumbled onto a very helpful vendor of e-cigs and after one day of figuring out how to make it work for me have not had a stinkie for three months and don't even want one.
If these had been invented 30 years ago I know my life would have been a lot better.
After ten years of retirement, smoking in my garage and out my bedroom window, leaving restaurants and people's dinner parties hours before it was polite to do so and generally turning into a smoking hermit I stumbled onto a very helpful vendor of e-cigs and after one day of figuring out how to make it work for me have not had a stinkie for three months and don't even want one.
If these had been invented 30 years ago I know my life would have been a lot better.
