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Thursday, March 12, 2020

Smoking

I was looking at my pack of cigarettes this morning, specifically at the graphic cancer picture, which in this case was of a mouth and gums infected with the disease, and I thought "Well, least he has all his teeth."

I may be missing the intended message.

I am however receiving a message from the pricing of these things, which is that they are getting too damn expensive, even in Indonesia. When I came here in 2010, a pack of Marlboro was about 11.000 Rupiah. Now they're going for over 30.000.

My father once told me that unwanted expense is not a good reason for quitting cigarettes. One can always scrape up the money one way or another. And one ought to be more concerned about the real issue: one's health.

Yeah, you're right, Dad. For sixty years, I have managed to scrape up the money--from 40 cents back in 1972 to God knows what nowadays.

I do think, in fact, more often of trying to quit, or at least cut back, not because of a fear of cancer, but because smoking seems to significantly exacerbate my constant feeling of nasal congestion--not due to the cigarettes per se, but to my damaged stomach condition which sends acid to my throat and nasal passages, making the throat feel sore and the nose feel stuffy.

Another of life's little pleasures compromised by my stupid stomach.

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