Many former smokers face their biggest challenge at social events. You might think that having just one cigarette after quitting won’t matter, but social triggers are powerful. Today, we explore how one unforgettable wedding led to a relapse and how to gain back control.
“Look, in my case, it was all because of the BBC…”
“The BBC? Were you on British television?” she asks, looking utterly confused.
“No, no!” you laugh. “The BBC: BBQs, Bash parties, and Celebrations. You know, the social trap. The kind of day where you think… just one won’t hurt…”
“And in the end, it did.”
“At that wedding? Everything that could happen, happened,” you say, starting to chuckle.
“Everything? Tell me, tell me!”
“Well, it was a friend’s wedding, and you could tell from the start it was going to be one for the books…”
You begin to explain everything that happened that day. The wedding took place in a small church on the outskirts of the city—very beautiful but simple. It had a single long rectangular nave with a facade reminiscent of a Roman temple, with stairs leading to a porch surrounded by four columns supporting the roof. A square bell tower rose just past the entrance, perfectly centered and divided into three levels: the first had large windows on each wall, the second a clock, and the third the bell itself. It was crowned with a slender, pointed dome topped with a cross. The interior was clad in white marble, giving the impression that the church was much larger than it actually was. The decor was austere, with a few sculptures along the sides and an altar featuring a black marble table and a massive cross suspended by cables.
The wedding was at 6:00 PM, and you arrived five minutes before the bride entered. Since the church was packed and you were friends with both the bride and groom, you sat wherever you could. You ended up right next to a guy who was very poorly hiding the fact that he was wearing headphones to listen to the radio—the cup final was starting in half an hour. It wouldn’t have been an issue if the radio hadn’t interfered with the church’s sound system, causing snippets of the sports commentary to blast through the speakers.
Then, just as the priest was explaining the meaning of marriage, something happened that usually only occurs in the movies…
“Living as a couple, in marriage, costs a lot,” the priest said, pausing for effect. In that silence, a voice boomed through the speakers:
“Exactly six million euros!” Everyone present heard that fragment of the football debate where they were discussing the cost of the latest star signing. It triggered an immediate roar of laughter from everyone, including the priest.
“And here I was thinking this was an expensive wedding… what a future awaits us!” the bride joked, causing even more laughter.
“Good heavens! You couldn’t have scripted it better,” the woman at the City Hall replies. “That really is an expensive marriage.”
“Yeah, and in the end, the marriage lasted less time than that player’s contract… and believe me, he was a total flop!”
“Hahaha! That’s how marriages are these days…”
“And what else happened? You said it was unforgettable…”
“Well, a prank… if you’d seen the bride’s face…”
“It wasn’t that one where they cut the groom’s tie with a chainsaw, was it?”
“No, no! It was just that seven of us decided to give them the same amount for the reception: 150 euros.”
“What’s so strange about that?” she asks, puzzled.
“Well, we gave it to them… in one-euro coins. Do the math… 150 euros times seven people… 1,050 one-euro coins inside a treasure chest.”
“I see. It really was an unforgettable wedding.”
“Totally. You can imagine the vibe—cracking jokes, laughing, drinking, dancing…”
“And the bride and groom handing out cigars…”
“No! That’s the thing—that didn’t happen. The couple gave out candy, and for those who smoked, they gave out ‘how-to-quit’ guides. But I stepped outside for a moment with a friend who wanted to smoke; he offered me one, and I thought one wouldn’t hurt…”
“And from that one cigarette, you started having one a day, or every other day, and in no time you were back to smoking every day, almost the same amount, right?”
“Exactly.”
“So why not try again? You actually did it! You just had a slip-up. If you find yourself in that situation again, I’m sure you won’t make the same mistake.”
“I know… but I had such a hard time when I quit smoking…”
How to Bounce Back from Just One Cigarette After Quitting
“Yes, thinking about going through that again isn’t very pleasant. But look, do one thing: make a list of everything you gained when you quit, how satisfied you felt, and how long you stayed smoke-free. Then, on another sheet, write down how long you actually felt miserable when you took the step.”
“And what do I do with that?”
“When you’re done, compare them. Assess if it was worth it for the time you were smoke-free.”
“Okay…”
“So tell me, what are you planning to do?”
Navigation Options
- If you want to quit smoking.
- If you don’t want to quit smoking because you feel you enjoy it.
- If you think smoking doesn’t affect you and therefore there’s no need to quit now.
- If you think it’s already too late to quit smoking.
- If you don’t want to quit smoking (general).
-
If you’ve been here before, maybe you need to see what you missed the first time.