We often ignore the small signs our body sends us. However, quitting smoking before it gets worse is not just about avoiding a cold; it’s about preventing a life tied to an oxygen tank like the one Angela’s father uses…
When we’re alone with our thoughts, things we’d rather forget start creeping in—like that scene at the clinic with the man who asked you for a cigarette. He seemed so normal, in such a good mood. Sure, he had a bit of a «dad bod,» but he looked healthy and was incredibly friendly. Then, just like that, he has a heart attack while waiting for a routine check-up.
In the middle of your spiraling thoughts, your phone buzzes. You pull off your gloves and answer, mentally cursing whoever is calling.
«What?» you snap, literally shivering.
«Whoa, what’s up with you?» a voice answers from the other end.
«My hands are frozen solid, that’s what!» You cough. «So whatever it is, say it now or forever hold your peace!»
«Hahaha! I know it’s freezing. That’s why I’m holed up at our usual spot. We’re all here. You in? Over and out.»
«I’m there. See you in five. Over and out.» You cough again, shove the phone back, pull your gloves on, and pick up the pace, arriving even sooner than you said.
The wall of heat inside the bar hits you instantly, melting the chill. It’s the exact opposite for the people sitting by the door, who catch the blast of freezing air from the street. Their faces tell you exactly what they’re thinking without saying a word: Close the damn door.
But you don’t notice their glares. You’re too busy struggling out of your coat before closing the door. Because of that, one of the guys sitting nearby shouts:
«Would you do us a f***ing favor and close the goddamn door?» The man is a head taller than you, even while sitting on a barstool. He looks completely disheveled—days of stubble, wrinkled clothes, and eyes that suggest he’s had a few too many beers.
«Excuse me?» you stammer, completely thrown off by his aggression.
«The door! Dammit! Do I have to repeat myself?» he says, sliding off his stool and stepping toward you.
«The door is already closed. You happy now?» Anna, one of your friends, snaps as she steps right in front of you.
The man looked like he was itching for a fight, but he backs off, grumbling as he returns to his seat at the bar. It surprises you how quickly he backed down just from her words. After all, it was two against a giant. But then you turn around and see your entire group standing behind you with «don’t-even-try-it» looks on their faces.
«Hey there, Ice Cube. Come on, we’re at the back,» Eva says with a warm smile, putting an arm around your shoulders and guiding you to the table. «What was that? Were you trying to warm up by going full Rocky Balboa on that guy?»
«No, Loli,» you cough. «That animal was looking for trouble. He’s totally wasted.» You cough again, harder this time.
«Geez! You sound terrible! You were coughing like that on the phone too. That’s quite a cold you’ve got!» Angela says.
«No, it’s not a cold, Angela… I just get these coughing fits sometimes, especially in the morning.»
«It’s the cigarettes,» Miguel chimes in.
«Yeah, I guess. But whatever, it’s normal. I like smoking.»
«Wait… ‘normal’?» Miguel replies. «Coughing every day isn’t normal. Do you see people who don’t smoke coughing like that all year round?»
«Maybe not every day, every day… but it’s just a little cough.»
«Tell me something,» Angela interjects. «When you first started smoking, back in the early years… did you cough every day like you do now?»
«Once in a while…»
«Exactly. ‘Once in a while,’ not always. Don’t you think this might be a sign that something is actually happening? That it doesn’t just stop here?»
«What are you trying to say?» you ask.
«That my dad started exactly like that. Just like you, he’d say, ‘Oh, it’s fine, it’s just from smoking, it doesn’t bother me that much.’ And you know what? Now he has to carry an oxygen tank everywhere because he can’t breathe.»
«So what, are you telling me I’m a lost cause? That I’m going to end up like your dad? Thanks for the pep talk, geez!»
«That’s not what I’m saying, damn it!» she snaps back. «My dad ended up like that because he didn’t quit. But if you quit now, you stop the damage in its tracks. If you keep going, you’re just fast-tracking it. I’m not saying the cough will vanish overnight, but at least you’d be stopping it before it gets worse. Think about it. I’d say smoking is already affecting your health—maybe just a little for now, but it’s there. Better to deal with it now than later, right?»
«Plus… have you thought about what you’d gain if you quit?» Manuel adds, a tennis pro and a total fitness nut.
«Yeah… health, right?» you say, sounding unenthused.
«Yeah… health, and savings, and looking better. Fewer wrinkles, better breath, getting your sense of taste and smell back… and your house and car won’t smell like an old ashtray anymore.»
«I’m telling you this honestly, and because we care about you. Don’t think we just want to lecture you, even though I know that’s exactly what you’re thinking right now,» Carlos continues. «But I really think that cough is a warning that smoking is already catching up with you. The decision is yours, but tell me… are you going to consider quitting?»
- If you think this would be a good time to quit before things get worse, click here.
- If you don’t think you can quit, click here.
- If you want more information on the first health symptoms of smoking, click here.
-
If it doesn’t seem like a big deal, maybe start from the beginning and see where it leads.