Way back when, there was no
such thing as smoking and
non-smoking sections;
designating areas were still
years away, there were no
signs saying that you could
not smoke and there were
cigarette machines in
various stores and
businesses. Probably
the last machine I remember
vividly is the one that was
in the lobby of the Shoney’s
Restaurant located in the
mall square in
Milledgeville/Baldwin
County.
During the early 1990s when
Otto and I frequently
traveled up 441 north, we
stopped right at the
Georgia-North Carolina state
line and purchased
cigarettes much cheaper than
we could find them in town. We
bought several cartons each
and stored them at home in
the freezer to keep them
fresh. By
these days though, there
were warnings on the
packages but we thought they
were warning someone else;
we were both addicted to
cigarette and the warnings
were not meant for us.
After Scott and Arlin both
married and because I hoped
that grandchildren were in
our future, I became
convinced that it was time
to rid myself of this
terrible habit. My
dad was a friend of Dr.
Douglas Kavelman who
practiced medicine in
Lumpkin and during a weekend
visit back home, I decided
to stop by his office and
consult with him about the
newly introduced nicotine
patches.
Because of research I knew
that insurance was not going
to pay for the patches but
Dr. K. encouraged me to make
the commitment and offered
to write the prescription
with no charge. I
smoked my last cigarette
during the drive from
Richland to Milledgeville
where I filled the
prescription and began the
treatment. I
was determined to succeed
but secretly stored a pack
of cigarettes and a lighter
in the trunk of my car, just
in case.
The patches did help but I
have to admit that this was
a difficult journey. There
were times that I dreamed
about smoking and smelling
fresh smoke made me crave a
cigarette but the smell of a
dirty ashtray convinced me
even more that I was doing
the right thing for my
overall health.
This chapter
in my life story occurred
nearly twenty five years
ago; after weeks of intense
prayer and encouragement
from friends and family, I
finally took the cigarettes
out of the trunk of the car
and deposited them into the
trash and gave the lighter
away.
