Respect and Honor

OK.
All my guys are on the train, so…

Well, here we are.
The illustrious 100 day mark.
The whole “just another quit day” that we all look forward too.
The “a minor milestone on a long journey” that is turned into a month long celebration.
The day we write a speech for, that we’re not supposed to get too excited over.

I never wrote an intro.
Figured it would sound too much like an endorsement for Copenhagen,
and they would ban me before I started.
You see, I love Copenhagen Snuff.
35 years I’ve been loving it.
Looked forward to it every morning.
Was with me all day building homes. It’s just what I did.
Most of the guys I hang out with, didn’t even know I dipped. Didn’t hide it from anyone, but I didn’t spit, so it wasn’t real obvious.
I could sit through a 3 hour road trip, with a dip in, and just enjoy life.

So why did I quit?
Good question.
I liked the get up and go feeling it gave me, but I was starting to see my gums receeding.
Started thinking maybe I should stop, and heal my gums. Wouldn’t go to the dentist, cause I figured he’d be all “Pre cancer” and crap, but my teeth were starting to bug.
So I had the thought of quitting, but just a thought.
Then being from Dago, Tony Gwynns death was a pretty big deal.
But it really didn’t phase me.
Tony was way obese, so in my mind, that was a huge contributing factor to his getting cancer.
So, shake it off.
I mean, maybe I should quit, but naw.

The only time I stopped before, was because a guy told me I wouldn’t be able to quit for two weeks.
So I told him I’d quit for three, and did.
So in the back of my mind, I was always thinking, I can quit any time I want.

So fast forward. I had gotten to where I wouldn’t even look at my gums.
Didn’t want to know.
But one day in Late January, my gums kinda hurt at work. Before I left, I looked at my gums In my side mirror.
¡Ay Caramba!
That’s a lot of tooth showing. Can they just fall out of your gums?
So I spit out my dip, drank some water, and threw in a new dip for the drive home.
Now, I had also had a low grade sore throat for about a month. In the back of my mind, I was wondering, if it was from the Cope.
But I still wasn’t thinkin’ about quitting.
At home, I unloaded my truck, and I was standing in the garage, I had just thrown in a freshy, and the radio says, “Padres pitcher Randy Jones, is undergoing treatment for throat cancer”
I’ve met Randy.
My buddy was a bullpen catcher for the Pad’s back in the day.
I walked out to the trash, threw my can in, and launched the one in my lip.
Looked at the clock, 5:22 PM Jan 26, 2017.
I quit.
Walked in and told my chick.
She was surprised, “I didn’t know you wanted to quit”
I didn’t. But I just did. I mean, how hard can it be?

Two days in, and the fog is killing me. I’m thinking I got the flu, but I just got over the flu.
So I google Copenhagen withdrawls,could there be such a thing? and end up here.
I lurk, and read a little, and figure, naw. Not for me. I’ll just quit thank you.
Next day, the fog is really bad.
So I wind my way back, figure I’ll join, so I can read what’s in the quit groups.
So I go to May 17, and bam, some asshole named frazz is just reaming a caver.
I don’t even remember who. Doesn’t matter. Ain’t interested. I just wanna quit, not listen to some blowhard attacking a guy, cause he’s having a hard time quitting.

Then I see I got a message. Oh great, a message from a bot.
But it’s from a member. FLLipOut, telling me this site will save my life, post roll….
So, I’m like, is this place asshat land, or somewhere over the rainbow land.
I had made my first post in general discussions about how the site sucked and the drama wasn’t for me.
The next day, I had replies from Frazz,Chewie and Fllip, telling me about accountability, and the addict mind, and I’m like, OK but I aint no addict, I just dip.
But they made sense, so I figure I’ll post roll, but I ain’t getting all involved and crap.

And here we are 100 days later.
I guess somewhere along the way, I jumped in a little.
May was filling up with foggy bastards, and no one was stepping up.
So I jumped in.
Big.
May 17 was the perfect place for someone like me to land.
Full of strong, no bullshit personalities.
I’m used to guys like that.
I work with guys like that.
I hang with guys like that.
These cats would lay it out. Tell ya how they were feeling,
even if it went against the KTC grain.
We didn’t always agree, but we all laid out our views. What we were going thru.
That open discussion ruffled some feathers, but it helped our quits.
I could pick up the phone, call a brother, and I knew exactly where he was coming from. No canned phrases and pretend nonsense.
I wanna thank my May 17 brothers and sister, for all they’ve done to help me in my journey.
Scratch that. Our journey. Love you guys.

“In the end, a Spartan’s true strength is the warrior next to him. So give respect and honor to him, and it will be returned to you.”

The end of something special is upon us.

May 17 was something to watch.
Something else to be a part of.
Something really special to lead.
There was a lot of blowback against May 17.
A lot of people that just don’t get it.
But man, I know we helped some old vets who were lacking enthusiasm in their quit.
Guys that were tired of the same old, same old.
How do I know?
They’d tell me.
A lot.

You vets that helped and supported us….
I ain’t naming names. There’s way to many, hell, i’ve got well over a hundred numbers, and I know I’d miss one. You know who you are.
But, why not?
Off the top of my head….
Ready, rkymtnman, Kramer, texasyeti, jpfabel, njohns,FLLIP, Skid, Atown, Clemte, Coach Baker, backwoods, Samrs, cmark, Richard K, All the boys from May 08, Flrednek, jost2brown, razd, Batdad, Law, Irish, Jack, miker, Kitkat, Candoit, etc….
Special thanks to backwoods and Skid, for not only standing shoulder to shoulder with us
during the trollfest incident, but they picked up teargas canisters, and hurled ’em back!
That ain’t something you forget.
Skid, you stayed with us, posting support, when it became politically incorrect.
That gives you Legend status in my book.

You supporters that stayed in touch, and gave encouragement, and didn’t bail on us,
big time thanks.
To the others with a stick up their butt,
or those that started crap with us,
or those that were full of themselves,
Well, sorry if we offended you, but maybe you needed to be offended.

May 17 Thanks!

I want to thank all May 17 for your part in our group.
Everyone of you contibuted to make us what we are.
A couple of guys need special thanks though.

JD –
Don’t even know where to start. Couldn’t have done it without you.
But man, that whole Russian roulette… you go, I go…I’ll head down to the store right now..
tact we used, is not for the faint of heart.
I don’t recommend it for new quitters.
It was an honor walking into the Hall with you.
We went through some highs and lows together.
Have a feeling we’ll go through a lot more

Justin –
You know, i just looked, and we have over 2000 texts together.
who knew quittin would turn us into high school chicks.
I remember trying to talk you through signing in on the sheet!
Total Saturday Night Live skit!
Laughed so hard!
Glad I got to know you and your family.
You got a great thing going on back there!
Proud of ya.

Mojo –
So many laughs!
I swear, you are just like so many guys I hang with.
Rough around the edges
Great sense of humor
Heart of Gold.
Like JD, you’re a really smart dude,
and watching these clowns underestimate you,
over, and over, and over, was too funny!
So glad to quit with you.

Tig –
First guy from May I talked to on the phone.
I remember us trying to work through posting roll.
Surprised we stayed!
Thanks for the calls and encouragement.

Ralphie –
So glad you stepped out of chat and into May.
You brought in some fun and goofyness.
Man, I remember being at work, and your frantic text,
“Get your ass in chat. Now!”
Jhund was gonna cave, and you weren’t havin any.
Good job

Donkey –
Thanks for stepping up, and helping with the cat herding!
Took a lot of pressure off.

Brett –
Your quit intensity is real.
I have no doubt you’ll make it.
You truly understand Brotherhood.
Proud of you

bgbdbrd –
Always there, shoulder to shoulder.
Always knew I could count on you.
Brotherhood is second nature to you too.

Cantrap –
Another guy that feels the same as me about his quit.
You also went thru family crazyness
and stayed quit.
Big props Brother

Bombsquad –
During the trollfest,
being able to text with you was super helpful.
Stand up guy!

Djleslie –
April fools
I told everyone to lay low, and I would direct the heat on me.
The stick up the butt vets, that were too stupid to see what I was doing, attacked.
Couple of guys hung with me,
You were one.
Thank you

DeterminedJ, Robravena –
When I was melting down from family crap,
Your texts were helpful,
and from the heart.
Thank you

Cone, and Mcasalinova –
Thanks for stepping up and helping with the sheet.
It can be tiring and thankless.
Much appreciated.

Geralt –
Had to be tough quitting with us,
from halfway around the world!
Good job!

Big Sexy –
Jaw set…
Knew you’d make it.

Slikwil –
Thanks for diving in,
and contirbuting to the fun

Lowandslow, and Schmuck –
Thanks for trusting me with your quit.
Stay strong, men.

yetisb –
Next time you come into a group during HOF,
Drop the SB from your name.
Scrutiny woulda dropped by 50%

LMcB –
Steady Eddie.
Sure to be a Conductor
Thanks for all your help!
Can’t think of anyone more fitting to hand off the May 17 torch to!
Make us proud Brother!

The rest of May, I didn’t have a lot of contact with.
My fault, but if any one of you wasn’t here,
May woulda been a different group.
Thank you guys for quitting with me.

MAY 17 – ¡POR VIDA!

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