Gonna be a Smoker...

As the chilly winter wind blows & temps are down...I've been noticing more & more how people handle themselves in the cold. (be warned: stereotypes do follow)... The short & cute & pretty girl with perfectly straight hair keeps her cute & trendy image in stilettos & perfectly pressed pants as she walks down the street with no hat or gloves...but she still looks stylish (& cold) ... The tall 'suit' walks down the street in nothing but his suit & perhaps carrying a black portfolio of some sort to go to meet his boys at the popular bar down the street where all the other 'suits' are...but he too still looks stylish (& cold) ... As these 2 types walk down the street in this chilly NYC winter you can see that, although they look great, they can't hide the fact that they are still cold & can't wait to get inside. The last type I have noticed (that seems to not be affected at all by this cold) is the smoker. They sit outside on a bench or in the courtyard outside their office or just resting against a building without a coat, hat, gloves, scarf...NADA! & they have no signs of being chilly. They calmly rest during this break time, often times with a cup 'o joe in hand, enjoying a chat with a friend (who usually is also a smoker), & seem to have no cares about the day or the 20mph wind that is briskly hitting their face. Why are they not affected by the cold??? Now, I was raised in the cold Chicago burbs & went to school in western MI (where in both places we KNOW the terms 'lake-effect' & 'wind chill factor'). Yet, I have not been able to master the calm & collected ease that smokers have on chilly days like these. Perhaps it's sheer determination for the chance to have a break for 15 minutes or the opportunity to catch up on gossip outside of the office....whatever the case, I admire the smoker's will & perseverance. I do not want to be so affected by this chilly weather anymore & I don't like having to worry if I have my coat, scarf, hat, gloves, boots, leggings, (& all other things we wear to keep warm) when I go outside to get lunch....it's just too much to remember. (seriously, how many times have you left a hat or glove behind?) So with this, I've decieded to take up smoking. I too will then have the thick blood & skin that all smokers seem to have. Sure, I may cut 20 years off my life, have a terrible cough, have yellow teeth & fingers, spend about $5 every couple days on a pack of smokes, & one day have to carry around my own personal oxygen....but!!!!!.....I will not be cold & be able to handle walking outside in the chill for 15 minutes (or longer!!!). Come on world...join me in supporting your local Marlboro Man & smoke with me! You may never have to wear a winter coat again!