You see them standing outside, sometimes alone,
sometimes with one or two others, and sometimes their numbers are larger.
They are defiant but orderly. Society has deemed them unfit and a danger
to its greater good. We find their habit repugnant and unclean, but they
refuse to change their lifestyle to meet our demands. Cold weather, hot weather,
mild weather, rain or shine, outside is the only public environment where
their behavior is acceptable. Pity thesethey are smokers.
Tobacco use, particularly cigarette smoking, was once considered chic and
fashionable. Smoking helped settle ones nerves, so the military encouraged
its use among servicemen during wartime. Hollywood icons smoked, as did all
of filmdom. Businessmen smoked, and while smoking among the fairer sex was
once risqué, it grew to become acceptable as the popularity of cigarette
smoking grew. Juvenile delinquents smoked, but so did juveniles who were
not delinquents.
Smoking was considered manly, and advertisements for cigarettes often portrayed
men doing things such as riding horseback in Wyoming or Montana then pausing
to light up a popular brand of cigarettes. Smoking was a form of sociableness
whether found at a nightclub or a country club or the Elks club. Smokers
smoked with little regard for persons who did not smoke and often were careless
where the ashes fell or where burning stubs were crushed.
Until medical research pointed to tobacco as a possible cause for cancer,
most smokers did not realize the risks associated with smoking. Even after
written warnings by the Surgeon General of the United States were mandated
on each pack, most ignored the message until the evidence overwhelmingly
supported the earlier research. And today, the evidence still goes unheeded
by some, in spite of more research linking heart disease to smoking.
Sociologists are better at explaining the differences between generations
than I am, but I believe the political push to ban smoking from all public
places, even in small towns such as Pontotoc, is directly related to a
characteristic of the generation of Baby Boomers. Ive heard enough
speeches on trends and generational differences over the years to remember
one of the defining aspects of a Boomer is
the "its-all-about-me syndrome." And, its a characteristic I
see again and again in those born between 1946 and 1964. These are the generation
born from the time GIs returned home after World War II until shortly after
the Kennedy assignation. Today, Baby Boomers are the ones in leadership positions
in churches, schools, and in local governments.
What I cant explain, for the life of me, is how Americas Greatest
Generation failed so miserably to impart the values instilled in them, values
that they have revered for a lifetime, to their own children. Maybe, they
did their best, and the teaching didnt take. Maybe, its an external
factor such as exposure to DDT or too much fluoridated water. Im sure
smarter minds than mine have asked the same question with much the same results.
Whatever, the reason, "boomers" are far different from their parents.
It has long been a part of Judeo-Christian thought that its better
to work out ones differences with a brother or sister than to rely upon the
courts. If that thought is still valid, then it has gone largely unheeded
by the Baby Boomers. I dare say most lawyers would be out of work, were it
not for a generation or two of lawsuit-happy souls.
Baby Boomers are far more "health conscious" than their parents, and since
scientists have also linked second-hand smoke to cancer, boomers have taken
measures and continue to take measures to protect themselves from the
consequences of exposure to second-hand smoke. If a non-smoking section is
good for a restaurant, a smoke-free restaurant is better. If designated smoking
areas are good for a hospital, then to ban smoking anywhere on the grounds
of the facility is better. If one business can be made smoke-free, why not
legislate a smoke-free city?
Today, the hue and cry from towns and cities is to make all public places
smoke free. This year a legislator in our fair state introduced a bill to
prohibit restaurants from serving obese people. Already, school districts
are mandating the removal of soft drinks and candy from vending machines
and replacing yesterdays junk food with healthier choices. Tomorrow,
the call may be to refuse public transportation to the obese by reasoning
it costs more to transport a fat person than a thin person. Even a good idea
can be taken too far.
Theres nothing wrong in an individual or a group of individuals making
good health decisions that affect ones lifestyle, but when those choices
adversely affect others to the point of ostracizing them or disallowing their
right to the pursuit of happiness, perhaps its time to rein in the
selfishness that began it all.
Meanwhile, when I see a smoker shivering in the cold outside their place
of employment or vying for shelter from the rain while trying to grab a few
drags from a cigarette, Ill pause to consider how they may be our new-age
urban lepers, but at least they dont yet have to shout "unclean" when
others approach.
Sunflower Jack
Wisconsin Visitor
He arrived in good condition, though thats not always the case with
the U.S. mail. I was prepared for the fact that his legs were missing, as
I had received his picture a few days earlier. However, thats to be
expected with most hand puppets.
Sunflower Jack belongs to a little girl named Sarah who attends Extended
Love Child Development Center in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Her mother, Julie Remiker,
is Director of Retail Technology for the Midwest/ Southeast Region of SUPERVALU.
All the children in Sarahs class made hand puppets and named them,
as part of a project to learn about places around the globe or wherever the
hand puppets journeyed. Persons receiving a hand puppet from Sarahs
class were asked to make a few photographs of their family and the hand puppet,
along with some fun facts about where the puppet had been.
Sunflower Jack and I bonded almost immediately. After all, I have worked
in a lot of Sunflower Food Stores in my career, and my company car has a
license plate from Sunflower County. Thus, I thought it would be good to
make pictures of Sunflower Jack visiting as many Sunflower-themed places
as possible in a week of my travels.
The following is a copy of the letter enclosed with more than a dozen photographs
when I returned Sunflower Jack to his owner.
"To Sarah and friends:"
"Sunflower Jack recently traveled to Pontotoc, Mississippi, to visit for
a few days with Wayne Carter, who works for SUPERVALU down in the South.
Sunflower Jack enjoyed meeting Mr. Waynes granddaughters, Merilese
and Katherine Adams and a "granddog," named Zoey."
"Since Mr. Wayne travels a lot, Sunflower Jack tagged along for a few days.
On Monday he had his picture taken in Hattiesburg, MS, with the football
stadium of the University of Southern Mississippi in the background. Green
Bay Packers quarterback, Brett Favre, once played football for the
Golden Eagles of Southern Miss."
"The next day Sunflower Jack
visited two supermarkets in Columbus, MS, and was amused to see his name
on each store. He met Steve Townsend and his son Clint, owners of the two
stores."
"Sunflower Jack asked to have his picture made beside the Sunflower County
sign on Highway 82, near Indianola, MS. The wind was blowing so hard at the
time that it crossed Jacks eyes. They have since returned to normal."
"On Wednesday, Sunflower Jack and Mr. Wayne traveled from Greenville, MS
to Vivian Louisiana, passing through a part of Arkansas. In Eudora, AR, Sunflower
Jack couldnt resist another photo opportunity in front of the local
Sunflower Store."
"In Monroe, Louisiana, we joined Bob McGehee, a friend of Sunlower Jacks
from Atlanta, Georgia, who accompanied us to Vivian, which is north of
Shreveport, Louisiana. After our business in Vivian, we drove about five
miles to the Texas state line and made more pictures."
"Jack, Mr. Bob, and Mr. Wayne spent Wednesday night in Monroe, and ate dinner
at the Outback Steakhouse. There, Sunflower Jack had his picture taken while
cutting a piece of bread."
"Jack accompanied Mr. Wayne to his office in Indianola, Thursday morning.
After thanking Mr. Wayne for a fun week traveling in four states, Jack slipped
himself in an envelope for his return trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin."
"Jack learned a lot of geography on his trip to Mississippi and found that
folks who live in the South are just as nice as folks who live in his neck
of the woods. Sunflower Jack hopes to see a lot more of our country in the
next few months."
"Thanks for letting Sunflower Jack visit with me,"
I dont have Sunflower Jacks itinerary, so I dont know what
excellent adventure hes on this week, but Ive been promised an
update of his travels once the class project is completed in May, which will
be here before we know it.
Bodock Beau Zen
Of Sarcasm
Ken Gaillard shared the following bits of wisdom via email.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.
Its always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's
newspaper, that's the time to do it.
Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.
Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.
Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That
way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes
If at first you don't succeed, sky diving is probably not for you.
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he
will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably
a wise investment.
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back
in your pocket.
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, and it
holds the universe together.
There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the
same night.