Day 70
When I started this, I honestly didn't think I'd make it to 70, but here I am. I've learned quite a bit in the last 70 days, I've had cravings and I've learned to ride the wave. I finally had my 'close the door' moment over the weekend.
Many years ago, before I started dipping, I started smoking a pipe. I built up a small collection of some really nice pipes, and I made a few of my own. I was traveling a lot at this point in my life, so every new town I went to, I'd find the local tobacconist and try the local pipe blends. I ordered blends from overseas, and anything that I really liked, I'd buy several pounds of and age myself. I kept this up for several years, but eventually moved on and forgot about it all. Last weekend I finally remembered that I still had all that stuff in a box somewhere, hadn't seen any of it since we moved 2 1/2 years ago. I knew that I had to get rid of it all, so went to locate the box. Moving disused golf clubs, several miles of coax that I'm keeping for some reason that escapes me, and a collection of books I haven't read since High School, I found it at the bottom of a closet and pulled it out. Got some rubber gloves on and started going through that box and throwing away sealed tins of Pipe Tobacco along with jars that I'd been aging since 1997.
I expected that I'd feel a small sense of regret, but it was the opposite, I felt liberated. Free of the NIC bitch completely. That was Saturday night, it's now Tuesday morning and I haven't had a crave since then, my longest stretch so far.
I know that I'm not cured, but I also know that I'll never dip again, it's just not an option any longer - and I can't tell you what a relief that is. I still have much work to do, to stay in this place, where nicotine is not an option, but at least for the moment, I'm glad that I'm at this place, and that KTC is in large port responsible for getting me there.