You're all a great bunch of Friends!!!!

[Thornak]

Seriously, ever since I've joined the team I've been awed, amazed, and touched by what a great bunch of people we have on our forum!!

You are all super helpful to every newbie who comes along, you are unstinting in your appreciation for all that we do, and always jump in to help us and each other, whenever and whatever any of us ask!!

I love you all, and I want ALL of you on my Friends list! I mean that! SO, can all of you send me your friends requests? I will add each and every one!

YouTube - Queen - Friends Will Be Friends (Lyrics)

Well, since we are good friends now, can I borrow some money?

 

[Paranoyed]

Just gotta drop my 2 pennies in the bucket and say thank you to all of the V4L staff and supporters. So far I have had the most success ever with quitting smoking ( in that I have not had a cigarrette or even a "real" craving in over 1 month). When I first started researching the e-cig I had no idea and would have gone with anything, thanks to the support and praise of the forum members here I went with a VK from V4L. I believe if I had tried another model/brand I might not have been as successful with quitting as I am an inherently lazy person and all the other models sound like they take way too much work to truly enjoy. Taryn has been great in helping me along (especially the refill trick ; ). On the note of anti-social tendencies I have always had moments when all I wanted to do was be alone. My father died when I was 8 months old and I have never come to accept the fact that I will never get to meet him, then 2 years ago my mother passed away at unexpectedly at 48. I feel my only solice comes in lonliness. As little as 2 months ago if you would have asked me if I would quit smoking I would have laughed at you and said it is never gonna happen but here I am today smoke free and feeling more energetic daily. Aside from the way I physically feel since I quit smoking I have felt my self-esteem and sense of worth improve. Thank you V4L.



Wow I can not believe I just typed all that but thanks to my inherent laziness I will not go back and edit it.

 

[JenJen]

Huge hugs to all of you!

I have always been a social person and loved interactions with others (could you tell? lol) so it is hard for me to imagine what you must go through. I am glad I have gotten to know you all, if only via computer! So glad that all of you are part of the little family here in cyber space!

 

[leeshor]

I SOOO totally get that. I have Social Anxiety Disorder, and I get even worse than that sometimes. I know you wouldn't guess it from my posts and vids, but a lot of the time I just don't want to communicate with ANYONE, not even family or friends.

SOmetimes I withdraw totally from contact. Most recently, from around last April to October, when Steve snapped me out of it, I hardly made any posts or vids at all, and other than going to work and back, never went out, and barely had any contact with the outside world. Once, I went 5 YEARS without talking to my own parents.

Like someone commented to me on YouTube, it's important to remind yourself that those feelings are illusions, and that the rewards of human contact are worth any stress and anxiety it causes.

I had been meaning to post that I wondered what you would be doing for Christmas and New Years, (not the Chinese one), but something tells me you'll be fine. So long as you have a little time to reflect. It's usually such a stressful time of the year for many people.

 

[leaford]

Thanks, Leeshor! Unless anything urgent comes up here in Shenzhen, I plan on hopping a regional flight over to Thailand, and spend Christmas weekend partying with some old friends, and most likely a few new ones!

As for New Years, that'll just be another work night for me. No big.

 

[Tasselhoff]

Thanks for the invite,I just sent it.Enjoy your Holidays Leaford

 

[CatMommy]

I picked that one out just for you Leaford, in honor of Mike! And you need to post a picture of him for us in the faces thread!

Now that one is for duckie...

I agree with Taryn. I want to see Mike.
I have a Moluccan Cockatoo and want to see what type of bird Mike is. He sounds handsome in the background of the videos...LOL....

 

[leaford]

Well, I'll see if I can find a good pic of him to post. But tomorrow. Right now I'm finally running out of steam and starting to crash. It's 330AM here.

 

[alexprobb]

It's a privilege Leaford!

 

[Davo]

I think I got the invite thing done hopefully. This site is fanominal (sp?), I never expected this much social networking from a vendor's product blog; perhaps it's something to do with the addiction thing. [Start rant] We all know and have dealt with the aspect of being addicted to cigarettes. And what gripes me is that other addictions like ......., alcohol, etc. has had clinical help facilities, but because cigarette smoking has been accepted for so long, it's looked over as being a problem alikened to the aformentioned substances. I'm thankfull to be living in the 21st century where technology has found some answers to things. And isn't it funny that this has not come from the medical community but concerned individuals for our addiction. We're the forgotten underdogs. I get ...... when all the so called leaders are poo pooing smoking and yet provide no help or viable solutions, yet all the elite with ....... and alcohol additions get their bed wetting Betty Ford center treatment centers. [end rant]

 

[Mary Kay]

Good Rant davo, I have often thought the same thing! Treating this addiction like a bad judgement call or lack of character.

Well I am here to tell them their preaching drove me to smoke more! It's not that I didn't want to quit..I didn't want to be shamed into quitting.

With this product in all it's many variations, I found an acceptable alternitive to analogs. I get to puff my head off and be "quit" at the same time!

But it wasn't until I found ECF, the Women's Room, Wrecked and Bonkers and my very much loved V4L..did I find real acceptance and people who were just like me.

 

[leaford]

I would agree and disagree. You've got a real point about how this addiction is viewed and treated. But one could legitimately argue that there's much more of an element of choice with smoking than the other addictions you mention. After all, if smoking was purely a physical addiction to nicotine, patches and gums would work. We're all here because the psychological component of smoking, and the fact that we all just plain enjoyed smoking, are stronger factors than the nicotine addiction alone.

 

[wolf10851]

Well I believe it also has to do with the physical habit of actually putting the cig in your mouth and taking a hit off of it. I tried the patch years ago and it did nothing for me because of the physical addiction to having a cigarette as soon as you get into the car or after a meal was not being satisfied

 

[leaford]

Well, yes, the habits, and rituals, and behaviors associated with it are all part of the psychological component, but there's a big difference between a physical habit, and a physical addiction. People can get past the physical addiction to nicotine, but still fall back into smoking because of the psychological components. The e-cig satisfies all the psychological elements, the habits, the behaviors, and most of all, the pleasure.

 

[Taryn]

Are you saying you believe in such an inexact science as Psychology?????




Just playing with you Leaford!

 

[leaford]

Yeah, yeah. I think I've embarrassed myself enough on that topic for one day.

BTW, YOINK! I stole another smilie from you!

 

[roxinal]

Thanks so much Leaford I am sure I speak for all of us,. We all care for you, your honesty, your compassion, your sincerity and so on and so on. The whole V4L crew is fantastic...

 

[leaford]

Thanks, Roxie!