Hello everyone,
I'm very thankful that I have found this site. I am 29 and have been chewing since I was in 8th grade. As many of us on here are, I am a former baseball player. I was introduced to chew by my father, a baseball and football coach. He chewed Skoal Wintergreen. For as long as I can remember, after he would put in a chew, he would let me taste his fingers after. I guess I had a genetic disposition to chewing, but that is a horseshit excuse because my older brother never chewed. I continued to chew throughout high school ball and through college baseball. It was environment where it was all chew all the time. Practice, games, bus rides, hotel rooms, ect. NCAA rules my ass, we always chewed. My coach was no better. In fact, when we fucked up we would simply bribe him with a log to prevent us from running.
After college ball I still had a year of school to finish so I took a job as a bartender. Continued to chew the whole time and also added smoking cigs to the mix. It made me chew less but added another shitty thing to the equation. After finishing college, I found what has become both an healthy and unhealthy addiction, disc golf. For those who don't know what disc golf is, it is just like regular golf but instead of a ball and clubs, you throw specialized discs into metal targets. It feeds the competitive void that baseball left and is very fun. I call it an healthy/unhealthy addiction because while it is great exercise to hike as much as you do playing DG, not a moment goes by during a round or practice session where I don't have a dip in or smoking or both.
It has been about 4 years since I have started playing DG professionally now. It certainly is not my full time job, but it allows me to compete for cash at tournaments. This is the time I think it will be most difficult for me to stop chewing. In the last six months, I have managed to quit smoking cold turkey. I decided after the last tournament of the year that I was done with the cigs, and I have managed to quit successfully. I don't miss it at all.
While I have successfully quit cigs, I have been chewing more than ever. While driving, while working in my office, while working out in the field, in the shower, and while playing DG. That is pretty much every waking moment. I also drive through an indian reservation every day on my way to work that sells Cope for $3 per can so the cost issue isn't as great. I know the time is now.
I have read through some of this website and I love the no nonsense, no bullshit approach that is taken here. Someone to call you out if you need it and not afraid to do so. That's what I need. I'm ready. Let's do this. Nearly a year ago I had to bury my father after a battle with a rare disease that took him out quickly. Near the end he was unable to do much for himself. He chewed for many years but it wasn't what took him out, but I'm sure it didn't help him any. He was healthy as a horse but this horrible disease took him down it wasn't his fault, he just got dealt a shitty hand. I would regret it so bad if my loved ones had to take care of me because of an addiction to something that I know is bad for me. That is selfish horseshit and it is time. It is time.
Thank you for reading and I'm looking forward to this battle.
