SMOKING INDOORS
Most people are guilty of this. If you're a pack a day smoker, then I'm sure you've had a cigarette or two inside the house. But unless you live in a house that does not have a roof, the stench is going to linger inside for weeks and weeks. That is just the way it is.
When I had roommates, I always smoked outside unless I lived with others who were OK with smoking inside. Once I branched out and lived on my own, I smoked inside 100% of the time. My apartment was disgusting. I wouldn't even invite anyone over because I was so embarrassed by the smell. It smelled like a dirty, rotten ashtray, and I was ashamed of it. Why didn't I go outside? Simply, I was too addicted, and I always gave some lame excuse for staying inside.
"It's too cold outside!"
"I'm watching something online, I don't want to miss it."
"This is my favorite part of the movie."
"I already had one inside today, so I might as well just continue. I'll stop tomorrow."
"I'll open the windows."
Sound familiar?
There are many excuses for smoking indoors. These are just a few of them. People just sometimes don't care enough to go outside. Everything smells already, so it doesn't really matter anymore if they continue.
Have you ever quit, washed all your clothes, only to relapse and have everything smelling like an astray again? I'm sure many of you are guilty of that. If you've told people you've quit, and you go to work smelling like cigarettes, are you paranoid or embarrassed?
There were dozens of times when I would stop, wash all my clothes so they smelled good, only to relapse and make everything stink again. Then, because I lit up most of the time inside my apartment, my work clothes would smell like it, too. Then I'd go to work and have to deal with all the questions and funny looks. I wasn't fooling anybody. I was back at square one and they knew it!
It's such a horrible cycle of quitting, cleaning everything, relapsing, quitting again, cleaning everything again, relapsing again...it just never ends until you put that last cigarette out for good. Within a week, your place will start to smell fresh again, and you won't be hesitant about inviting anyone over.
Not only clothes, but walls get dirty, too. If you have white walls, don't think for one second that they are as white as fresh paint would show. Try painting a room once you've stopped. I'm sure you'll notice a ton of difference. Imagine what your lungs look like. If the walls are yellow, imagine what direct contact with smoke, mainly your lungs, will look like after years and years. Scared yet?
The carpet is also a place where the smell lingers. It's just like clothing. It needs to be washed, too. Same with pillows and blankets. Everything smells like it, and people can tell. Clothes in the closet you haven't worn in years will smell like it until you wash them.
When I went on vacation, I went from a cold place to a warm place, so I packed my swimming trunks and shorts. Upon arrival, when I got to the hotel and opened up my luggage, I was astounded by how awful my summer clothes smelled, because they were hiding in the back of the closet for months not getting washed, while I was chain smoking in the house. I couldn't even take them out. I had to wash them right away before anyone found out. That's how bad it was.
Smoking inside ruins everything. It stains the walls, it ruins the carpet, it makes all your clothes stink, it's bothersome for your pets, and anyone who comes over, and it lingers for weeks. Until you put that last cigarette out for good and keep it that way, you'll live in filth. That is what your life is like. It's nothing but filth.
