I’m In the Hall!!! – How Did I Get Here?

Growing up I always dreamed of making the Hall of Fame. My mug and my awesome stats next to the greatest in the game. There for all future generations to see. I finally made it!!! The Hall of Fame!!! Wait…what do you mean? It’s not the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown? Oh, this is a Hall of Fame for quitters. Wait…my mom said that quitters never win. That might be the one thing she was ever wrong about. I’m in the KTC Hall of Fame all because I’m a big, bad quitter!!

Who would have thought that a cheek full of Red Man after a college rugby match at the age of 22 would be what ended up propelling me into the Hall of Fame? But that’s all it took. It started as a casual thing with beers after a match. Next I added it to the long car rides back to school from the places we would go play. Then I graduated and my first job was working at a golf course cutting grass and raking sand traps. The perfect place to start with a can. All day, every day. What else was there to do while riding a mower and dodging golf balls. Snowballed from there until I got married a year later. Told myself I was going to quit. Didn’t happen. Four years later…first kid…have to stop now! Didn’t happen. Second, third and fourth kids…told myself I had to stop with each one. Didn’t happen. Kept going and kept on perfecting my ninja skills. My wife would see a can every now and then but I convinced her it was just left over from rugby or fishing trip.

Kids start getting older and I had to work more on perfecting my ninja skills. More people to deceive. Kids get older and stay up later…that just means I have to stay up later to start my “after everyone’s in bed” chew. Of course that includes a nice big cup of Mountain Dew. Chew always goes with Dew!! Nothing tasted better after a spicy dinner or snack! Now I’m full of nicotine and caffeine and up until 2 or 3am and have to wake up at 6am to get to work on time. But at least I got my chew in for the day. Because the 40 minutes to and from work just weren’t enough. Started out to be 2-4 times a week. By the end it was almost every frickin’ night. I have no idea how I was able to function at work. Once I made it through the work day, who the heck had time for the wife or kids.

I had looked at KTC previously, but didn’t pull the trigger. I still thought I could do it on my own. WRONG!! Never did. Finally, my daughter is a senior and getting ready to graduate high school. We are taking her overseas for her graduation present. I know that I’m not that good of a ninja to keep from the wife and daughter for two weeks, especially in a place that didn’t sell chew. That would mean I have to bring 14 cans with me. Never going to happen. I’ve got to stop or I’m going to ruin the whole trip!! Not the memory I want her to have of me. Gottadoit…that’s where that name came from.

What was that site again? Kill The Can.org. Guess I’ll give that a try. Stayed up until 3am one more time with a big fatty in my lip and my big cup of Mountain Dew. Dumped all the chew and the Dew and posted a day 1. Will this really work? How can I text or call some no-faced Internet “friends”? Isn’t that weird?

It is weird. But not as weird as stuffing a cancer causing dead plant in your face for 25+ years. Or lying to your family, friends and co-workers. Or only getting 2 or 3 hours of sleep because you’re staying up late slowly killing yourself. You get used to it and end up depending on it as a lifeline any time you start to think you want “just one” chew.

Now after 100 promises made to my August 2017 HOF Battling Bastards That Beat The Bear and after 100 promises kept, I have finally made it to the Hall of Fame!! Not quite the Hall of Fame I envisioned as a kid, but a Hall of Fame that has saved my life. Sorry mom…me and these other KTC quitters do WIN!!

I want to say THANK YOU to:

• KTC (The people who started this site and those that continue to run it)
• All of my August 2017 BBTBTB’s and those who I text with on a daily/weekly basis
• All of the vets who inspired me by posting in our room each day
• All of the vets who reached out and continue to text with me on a daily/weekly basis

PROUD TO BE QUIT WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!!

For those reading this that haven’t stopped yet, now is the best time. Take your life back. You won’t regret it for one minute! I know I haven’t!!!

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