Second Time Around
My HOF Speech is a Cautionary Tale that some of my December Quit brothers have heard me tell before. My hope is that others will not make the same mistake I did.
I started dipping in high school when my older brother brought home some skoal bandits and asked me if I wanted to try them. Sound Familiar? I quickly graduated to Kodiak, then Cope, and never looked back. I dipped for roughly 17 years all through college, through military flight training, and all of my active duty military career.
Anyone reading this knows the details of my 17 year love affair with the NIC bitch. My story is not unique and has played out thousands of times. She was always there for me during the good and the bad. She was there during the long field deployments, the sleepless nights, and the studying and academic grinds. I needed a dip to study, to relax, to celebrate, to reduce stress, to watch TV, to drive, to feel whole. Pretty much had a dip in 24-7. What was the cost? I estimate the cost to be around $18,000. That is most likely a conservative estimate that doesn’t include the car gas, full soda/water bottles spilled out for a spitter, and ruined clothes and furniture from spilled dip. It also doesn’t count the medical/dental bills that are most likely waiting for me down the road. Most importantly, it doesn’t count the lost time with friends and family during my Ninja Dip Sessions. Now for the real purpose of my HOF post.
In 2005, I found this quit website that was the predecessor of KTC. I created an account, read all the articles, and even aligned myself with a group. However, what I didn’t do was post roll; not a single time. I didn’t post because I wasn’t weak, I didn’t need to make a promise to strangers, I could stay quit on my own. I stayed quit for approximately 7 years (2,555 days). Yeah, I was free of the NIC bitch…or so I thought! I stopped visiting the KTC website. I was Good TO GO (GTG)!
In 2012, I was driving a long distance really early in the morning. I was really tired and falling asleep so I decided to pull into a gas station. Before I knew it; I was sitting in the car with can of Cope in my hand. Must have sat there for a good 5 minutes contemplating the dip. I opened the can and put in a big lipper! That’s all it took. I was hooked again. After 7 years; it was like I had never quit. I told myself I would just finish the tin and quit Monday. Monday became over 4 years later. You know the deal. This time it was different. I was married now. Thus began my secret life of Ninja dipping and mood swings between NIC crashes.
What’s my point? Glad you asked. By not staying involved in KTC; I forgot that I was addict. I forgot how hard it was to quit by not reading new quitters stories. I forgot what it was like to be a dipper. Not the high; the bad stuff. Chasing the high and taking Motrin so I could dip longer because my jaw, lips, and teeth hurt so bad. If you think you can walk away after 100 days, after 200 days, after 2,555 days; you are wrong. I encourage you to stay involved with the new groups or at a minimum create a list of reasons to quit and read it every day. Most of all; remember one thing: YOU CAN NEVER HAVE JUST ONE DIP! That is not you. You can never dip again.
I quit with you today!
NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member BingBong
