The Camping Trip Confession

I grew up in West Texas. Copenhagen was a part of many lives around me as a youngster. I tried the nasty stuff at seven, and by the time Walt Garrison became Skoal’s poster boy, I was a veteran dipper. We moved  all over Texas in my teen years. My parents divorced. I found some consistency in the steady and sure “company” of Cope in every town we lived in. Thirty years into my addiction, I prayed my way into my first quit. Ten years later (TEN YEARS LATER!), I was going through a hard time and caved to the crave. Seven years later and you can do the math…37 years of Cope worship. That is 13,505 days.

I am so happy to be celebrating my 100 days without the can with the help of God’s grace. Much of that manifested through many of my fellow KTC’ers who doggedly pushed and pulled me to this point. I have always been a loner and coming to terms with the constant reminder to post roll was a challenge at times. Thanks go to several of you, and there are others: @MuleMan, @ChickDip, @Daviddim, @Bagel_Dog, @JohnSmallberries, @stillbrewing, and @Thomas A. It’s difficult enough to manage your own quit, but forum flunkies like me kept them working overtime.

I have read so many valuable insights on KTC. It was a miracle in my opinion to find the site. I have realized for years how prolific smoking cessation classes are in the brick and mortars, while feeling like the absence of the same for dippers and chewers meant we are expendables and on the margins. KTC.org is so vibrant and rich with content for which I hope to be able to contribute in some way going forward. That manifests primarily though, by posting a daily promise to stay quit. I tripped over a cigar after my first go round 21 days in. The backlash was swift and brutal. Cold turkey is the bird of paradise here. I do not want to forget that. In fact, I am using the same daily promise with other accountability partners to go cold turkey on booze too! I am 26 days in.

If you are reading this HOF speech and teetering about a decision to quit, read posts from the veterans. They can get you tipped over and falling into the light. Some days you walk on your own, and some you need someone to drag you. The craves are devilish. They whisper well-worn platitudes that you need your spit machinery and terd breath to make it through depression and heartache; to enjoy a sunset after a great meal or the birth of your new baby. The truth is you need to quit now and forever. The truth is, sometimes that means celebrating a single unspoken “no” generated in your own mind when a single crave tickles your lip. Little steps and daily promises kept are the key that unlocks the door.

I spent my 100-day anniversary on a camping vacation with friends and family. I decided the best way to celebrate would be to try tell my story to the youngsters we were camping with some reasons why they should stay away from the chemically infused, sun-dried and chopped, provocatively packaged killer-in-a-can. If I convinced just one, it will have been the best HOF celebration that I could have planned.

NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member Thedumbox