Cmdr Cody’s HOF Speech – May 2022

Cmdr Cody
That’s my gaming tag. (I play ARMA III every night)

My 100th nicotine free day (HOF day) is Sunday May 8th, which is also Mother’s day. My Mom, if she were still with us, would be proud.

First I’ll tell you a little bit about myself. I’m an older guy, 63 to be exact. I was fortunate to be able to grow up in the 60’s and 70’s just outside of Richmond, VA in Chesterfield County, way before computers and the Internet. We only came in the house when we had to, rode dirt bikes everywhere, hopped freight trains and in general just did Huck Finn stuff all the time. In addition to being old, I’m also a pretty large dude at 6’-8” and 245 lbs. I played both basketball and football in school, including football in college (defensive tackle). I went to Fork Union Military Academy – FUMA for short, which is one of the best prep schools in the country (USA). FUMA has put more football players in the NFL than any other high school or prep school in the country, including players like Eddie George and Vinny Testaverde. I graduated from FUMA in 1977. It was during that school year ’76-’77 when I started dipping – Skoal back then. Since then, for 45 years, if I wasn’t sleeping or eating – I had a dip in. First thing after my coffee in the morning and last one as I laid in bed reading before lights out every night. I was going through a can a day, every day for 45 years! Can you imagine if I had all that money back? Dang!

I’ve never done any drugs, never smoked pot, never smoked anything. But man, I loved my chew. I have a 100% off-the-grid cabin and 17 acres on top of a 3,200’ mountain in Virginia’s beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. I’ve been working on that place for 15 years now. Got a John Deere X729 tractor up there that I love cutting grass with. A couple of weeks ago was the first time I ever used that tractor without a chew in. Wasn’t sure I’d know how to do it! A few family members have suggested in the past that I should maybe quit but that was never taken seriously. The problem was I didn’t want to quit – just didn’t have the desire and I enjoyed it too much. I wasn’t having any problems from it (I was lucky).

January 29th, 2022 was a Saturday morning. I woke up with a migraine headache and I mild fever. I hardly ever get sick. I hadn’t been sick in literally years and I had never had a migraine headache before. I continued to feel bad on through the weekend. Don’t know about you all in the past, but for me, when you’re that sick, you don’t feel like dipping. So I didn’t, not all day that day on Saturday, or Sunday and by Monday night I was feeling a little better but still, I had not had a chew since Friday night January 28th, 2022. I decided then that what the hell, I’ve already gone almost three whole days without it, I may as well go cold ass turkey on this thing right now. So after FORTY FIVE years, that’s exactly what I did. I had never really known adult life without it until now. The month of February was hell. I went to the doctor 4 times. I had a constant headache for that whole month. I went through mood swings, cravings, the whole nine yards. I don’t ever want to go through that again and I won’t. No chance. I am that kind of person that when I set my mind to something, that’s all she wrote. Ain’t gonna change. I’m stubborn like that. Most times that’s a good thing. Pretty good at reaching goals I set for myself.

So that’s pretty much it. I’m a husband of 28 years, father of three children, ex-athlete, still a musician as I play drums, banjo and piano. I raced sailing yachts for 25 years. Done with that and now I live like it’s the 1800’s on the weekends in my mountain cabin, which is a nice break from my full time high-tech job in IT, which I plan to retire from in a year or two. AND, I am a tobacco and nicotine free person now!

NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan community member Cmdr Cody