The Problem
As my Great Uncle approaches his early 70's his health is slowly fading. Though he lived through the war, and experienced harsh times of famine and poverty associated with leaving Germany, these are not the things that are ultimately causing his health to fade - it is his dependency on smoking. Most recently, he was hospitalized for this exact reason as cancer is now forming in his lungs. Loosing the ability to breathe, he is now dependent on a respirator yet still cannot find it within himself to kick the habit. It is slowly killing him, and it is a sad thing to watch his induced battle with addiction slowly take a toll on his life.
Dear Uncle Deter,
As even you yourself have admitted, smoking is finally catching up to you. I know at the time when you were younger, you really couldn't help yourself - everyone smoked. I can recall Grandpa telling me stories of where you were kids, that it was the norm. People smoked indoors, during dinner, after dinner and throughout the day: it was simple the norm. To not smoke during the time you were raised and the time you grew up could easily be an understatement. You had two parents who were avid smokers and one who even accidentally set the house on fire because of it. In that type of environment anyone would have picked up the habit, I would think that it would be impossible not to. During the war, smoking was comforting during the long nights of violence. Once you came to America during the 50's and 60's it was a pass time that most everyone partook in. It was social and oftentimes charming to do so.
Though I do not smoke myself, I have never had a problem with it. I have many friends that do, and can understand the implications of doing so. As we are growing up and finding ourselves, it is understandable to want to try new things to determine what you like and what you don't like. In this context, I can understand the urge. Further, having friends currently struggling to kick the habit themselves, I can understand the absolute withdrawal that is caused from denying you yourself the nicotine your body craves. I have one friend who had chewed his fingers down to the core as an effect of the cravings. So, to kick a habit that has consumed you for so long would understandably be unbearable.
Still, in this day an age the norm has become just the opposite. As a society who used to open its doors and airplanes, for that matter, to all those who smoke is now turning its back on the same habit. A country that was once rich from the production of tobacco is now requiring strict regulations on its growth, requiring demonizing warning labels and kicking up costs to sky-high prices. While these measures may seem a little extreme, they come well supported with years of research and tough consequences. While, arguable, it is not so much the tobacco that kills, it is all the other chemicals they put into just one cigarette. Today, legislation has abandoned the smokers rights so much so that those who smoke cannot even stand within 20 feet of a walkway. We have abandoned this notion of smoking as a social past time and smoking as a trend and have instead adopted this idea of smoking as a drug that could potentially kill you.
Though I know you realize it, smoking is killing you. The only way to prevent worsening the damage it has already done would be to at least try to cut down. While I understand that quitting for you might be an impossibility, it would be beneficial for you to at least make an effort to try to quit. The money you would save would be incredible. Further, because the rest of your family has quit, it would not leave you in isolating situations where you are alone and smoking while everyone else is inside talking. Most importantly, it is for your health. You are an important member of our family, and though your jokes are sometimes inappropriate (as most German's jokes are) it would be hard to ever imagine a family get together without your contagious laughter. So please, I ask that you even just try to quit instead of giving up. Though you find your situation hopeless, there is always something you can do - even if it is just not to perpetuate the problem. Do it for not only your family, but for yourself.
With love.
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Kirsten,
ReplyDeleteI really like your letter to your uncle. I like the way you first talk about how you understand why he smokes because it puts you in an understanding light, rather than a judging one. You also talk about how our culture has changed in its attitude toward smokers. In talking to you, I found out that you uncle isn't very concerned about his own health. That is why I like that you talked about how important he is as a family member and that is why he should quit, rather than for his own health.