WHY I LOVE DIPPING
Twenty-three years ago, I was born a dumb, poor redneck in Eastern Kentucky which is a part of the Appalachians. Here, the people are drug-ridden, impoverished hillbillies - including me. I have always been around tobacco, always will be. My friends and I always dipped. Every male member of my family dips. I have even had teachers give me dip during school. Tobacco use is a part of the culture here - for better or worse, or more accurately, for worse.
Through education, I have furthered my career potential. I moved out of Appalachia for undergrad. I will move even further away for grad school. But I am still an Appalachian, through and through. I am so proud of my poor, redneck roots. While I am here, I love dipping, because it is part of the culture. It takes me back to my youth.
One day very soon, I am going to be wealthier and more established than many of my fellow Appalachians. Dipping connects us to each other in a weird sort of way. Some may think I am some hot shot lawyer with his nose in the air. Then, those same people would see me with a dip in, and realize I am still just Nick, the good ole boy from the holler. A good ole boy from the holler is trustworthy.
When I quit dipping, especially when I am far from home, it puts me into some sort of identity crisis.
This may seem stupid or hard to relate to for a lot of you, but that's okay. This is something I deal with during my quit. Please ream me, and pick apart this way of thinking. Because I want it destroyed. I want to know another way to deal with this thought.
I'm camping this weekend on the lake, and I work at the marina on weekends where I get my dip for free. So I can honestly say, my greatest temptation will be this weekend. When I post roll Monday, you all can go ahead and know the hardest part is over.
Nicotine cares not whether you are rich or poor. Whether you live on the East Coast, West Coast, or on a raft in the middle of the Pacific. It doesn't care whether you have a Harvard MBA, or spent your life locked in the attic coloring in coloring books.
I think it might help to clear up a few perceptions. And don't feel bad when I do this - as I had some of the same perceptions when I joined KTC...
1. (Perceived) Rednecks are the only people that chew (False)
2. White collar dudes don't chew (false)
3. Girls don't chew (false)
4. Educated people don't chew (false)
5. People with disposable income don't chew (false)
Once you talk to some of the people on this site - I think you'll be surprised. There are commercial bankers, cardiac surgeons, executives, airline pilots. Black, white, hispanic. California, Florida, New York. Doctorate, MBA, junior high educated. And every one of them knows or has friends that use tobacco. If they can do it, you can do it.
Hiding in the perceptions results in the well-documented Ninja usage. In other words.... if I'm a white collar professional, and I think white collar professionals don't chew - but I do chew, then how can I adapt. Easy - I hide and chew. There are a lot of Ninja addicts who have quit. Me for example.
I guess to sum this up, here is what your words said to me:
--I was poor white trash
--Poor white trash uses nicotine
--I love my friends and family, but they are all poor white trash that use nicotine
--The only bond I have with my poor white trash friends and family is my nicotine use
--I'm gonna be rich!
--Rich people don't use nicotine.
--uh, oh
I sure hope I'm wrong, because I have to be honest with you, this has all the looks of a soon-to-be Ninja. Bud, please look deep within - and if you wanna attack - go for it. Because looking back at my life (and I'll speak for several others that have reached out for you) being a Ninja is no way to live.
