HOF Speech – Thank You April 2016
My Hall of Fame Day was more than two months ago. I knew I was eventually going to write my HOF speech, but I never quite felt right about doing it at 100 days. Even now it seems premature. Maybe it’s because I’m always slow to give myself credit or maybe it’s because I’ve been here before only to start back at Day 1. To be fair, as a sports fan, I always thought the various sports Hall of Fames should be even more discerning in accepting former stars. So how could I be a Hall of Famer after just 100 days? Well the truth is I am deserving and so are all my fellow quitters who came before me and who are going to come after me.
We have been through our own version of hell, especially in those first few weeks, and to make it worse, it was self-inflicted. I did this to myself, and I had to make sure I took responsibility for my quit. After deciding to quit, finding this Web site and this forum was the most important part of my decision. The people on the forums helped me immensely.
My story and our story are the same, but yet uniquely different. I started dipping on and off as a teen-ager, going through the pain and nausea of that first dip of Kodiak. The first time I experienced the how powerful tobacco could be is when I was in college. I remember watching baseball on a perfect summer night, seeing a player with a dip in. Soon, I was out the door, heading to the store for my first tin in months.
I “quit” again soon after knowing full well the dangers of tobacco. But soon I was out of school, working a shit job, dipping out of boredom, which is what I told myself at the time. The same goes from when I would only dip taking an hour-long drive to and from work at a different job. Then I added my after-meals dips. Soon I was dipping a tin a day and did so for the better part of two decades. The longest “quit” I had before was 14 months. I did it on my own. I was stupid to think I could bum a dip from friend at a party and not crave it again. I held out for a few weeks, but then I started dipping regularly again. However, there was something different the last go around. I just didn’t enjoy it anymore.
In January of this year, I decided to have my last dip. Soon after I found this Web site. It made this quit easier, knowing I don’t have to go through this alone, and also gave me accountability. The first few weeks were tough but then it got easier. About 45 days in, I was thinking how easy it was getting and feeling pretty good about myself. I thought it wasn’t even a challenge anymore. Well, that same day as I was cleaning out a room in my house, I grabbed a bag, and wouldn’t you know it, as if right on cue, an almost full tin, rolled out. There was my challenge. I grabbed it and immediately threw it out. I knew then to stop thinking tough days were behind me.
The truth is, I and you may have moments where you think the quit is easy, but you have to realize it’s a non-stop process. You can’t take anything for granted. I’m an addict. You are an addict. We can never go back. If you are reading this early on in your quit or thinking about quitting, take advantage of this Web site. Post in your quit group every day, get to know a few of your fellow quitters. Exchange numbers, support each other and hold each other accountable. I wish I spent even more time in my group than I did. They helped me get to this point and they are the reason why I know I won’t go back.
I want to thank my April Foolin’ Smart Ass-tro’s 2016 group members even if we never communicated. You got me here. A special thanks to Walter White, Cornholio, and S.Wells, MikeLiveFree, skagnetti13 and Matt22.
Quit on.
NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member gungaro
