Out in the real world today, I was working at a benefit car wash for a friend whose 4 year old child was killed in a senseless and tragic car accident last month. He needs the help to be able to get a headstone. Anyway, a friendly although drunk homeless guy approached us, with no car of course, and donated all the change he had in his pocket. It came to a little under a dollar. One of the folks I was with bought him lunch (karma in return for karma). I thanked him for his kindness as he was walking away, and he asked me if I was smoking a peace pipe. I had my eVic with a ProTank attached. What followed was a very difficult and awkward discussion with me trying to explain what it was. He had never heard of e-cigs before. He was intrigued, but obviously totally baffled.
I felt like such an idiot the whole time because I was touting the benefits of it being cheaper and healthier in the long run than cigarettes. I saw him earlier picking butts out of an ashtray. I don't believe this guy has anywhere he could even charge an e-cig. I'm sure he doesn't have a computer to look up ECF, vendors, reviews, etc, and was far enough away from the B&Ms in town that he probably doesn't know they exist. He asked me how much my setup cost, and I told him a little over $100. The stunned look on his face, and his sheer disbelief that so much money could be spent on this thing I was holding in my hand made me feel ashamed, blessed, and wasteful all at the same time. I couldn't believe that had just come out of my mouth! I instantly felt like I had been insulting or something, although he did not express that. I know if he had $100, an e-cig would be the last thing on his mind. He actually said, "I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I had $100!"
I'm not sure what lesson to take from this experience. I'm pretty far beyond the experimentation phase of vaping, and I pretty much stick with a couple of devices, inexpensive 510 atties (well, also the Protank), and I go through maybe 2.5-3 ml of e-juice a day. I'm not the big spender I used to be, but I have caught myself complaining about high prices and the other "frustrations" associated with purchasing gear/juice. I guess I didn't have any qualms about dropping a bill on an eVic and twenty bucks on a ProTank though. Again, ashamed, blessed, and wasteful. I'm lucky to have what I have, and today's experience pointed out how much I take things for granted.
One glaring reality was that a homeless guy gave us what apparently was every cent he possessed. People in Mercedes, BMWs, Jags, Vipers, etc, etc passed by and tried not to make eye contact with us while drinking their designer coffee or talking on their cell phones. I makes me sick to think that I have often acted like the avoiders when I should have acted like the homeless guy. I hope something really good happens to him.
I felt like such an idiot the whole time because I was touting the benefits of it being cheaper and healthier in the long run than cigarettes. I saw him earlier picking butts out of an ashtray. I don't believe this guy has anywhere he could even charge an e-cig. I'm sure he doesn't have a computer to look up ECF, vendors, reviews, etc, and was far enough away from the B&Ms in town that he probably doesn't know they exist. He asked me how much my setup cost, and I told him a little over $100. The stunned look on his face, and his sheer disbelief that so much money could be spent on this thing I was holding in my hand made me feel ashamed, blessed, and wasteful all at the same time. I couldn't believe that had just come out of my mouth! I instantly felt like I had been insulting or something, although he did not express that. I know if he had $100, an e-cig would be the last thing on his mind. He actually said, "I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I had $100!"
I'm not sure what lesson to take from this experience. I'm pretty far beyond the experimentation phase of vaping, and I pretty much stick with a couple of devices, inexpensive 510 atties (well, also the Protank), and I go through maybe 2.5-3 ml of e-juice a day. I'm not the big spender I used to be, but I have caught myself complaining about high prices and the other "frustrations" associated with purchasing gear/juice. I guess I didn't have any qualms about dropping a bill on an eVic and twenty bucks on a ProTank though. Again, ashamed, blessed, and wasteful. I'm lucky to have what I have, and today's experience pointed out how much I take things for granted.
One glaring reality was that a homeless guy gave us what apparently was every cent he possessed. People in Mercedes, BMWs, Jags, Vipers, etc, etc passed by and tried not to make eye contact with us while drinking their designer coffee or talking on their cell phones. I makes me sick to think that I have often acted like the avoiders when I should have acted like the homeless guy. I hope something really good happens to him.
