My Reel To Reel Smoking Files, 1965

No one in the family ever told me, and as time went by, they forgot. Even when my mom found out I was smoking when I was 17, she never told me either. She probably forgot... Only people in my family will know my voice(of course), but to anyone else, there is a child's voice asking for a puff, and it's me. And then what follows...Everything falls into place. I know I started smoking regularly at age 11. I have a reel to reel tape here from when I was 3 and 4. In 1965 I was three, in 1966, I was four. I put these on cassette tape about 10 years ago, but really didn't listen to them closely until I put it on the PC a month ago and equalized it so I could hear it more clear. I wish I played it for my mom, because she would've told me then if I did or not. She isn't here anymore. As for this audio tape, I don't remember anything. I would guess they made me quit after five years because I don't remember smoking or not smoking while going through Elementary school (but I could've been smoking occasionally hitting ones in ashtrays--I don't know), but as two tapes show, I was already smoking before these tapes were made and probably started by hitting one in an ashtray. As for when I had my first drag on a cigarette, who knows exactly what age I started, 2 or 3 I guess. Because when I started, or restarted smoking regularly at age 11, I thought I was doing something secretly and that would explain why I didn't cough or as to why I dreamed about smoking right before I started smoking regularly. Anyways, first tape I date around March of 1965. My brother asked me how old I was and I said "Geah". (ci-geah-ette maybe). Well, it must've been, because he hit me twice and yelled at me, "Don't say that!" I just turned 3, three months before that, so I could've smoked at two years old, but I can't prove it. Then from Summer of 1965, the second tape. Second tape---we were visiting relatives with my whole family there, and my mom was lighting a cigarette and I said, I want...She said, "blah blah, can't leave it alone now." My dad said, "It will burn", and I said, in a worried voice, "Why?" So I was smoking at that age and the whole family knew. WOW! Now 3 minutes later in that tape, I went into the next room and asked someone else. I said "Puff, puff, just one puff(in desperation)." With the sound of my voice, I really wanted that cigarette. Listening to that is great! Boy, I had more nerve then than I did later on in life. They (whoever it was), gave it to me. Then, my brother says to my other brother, "Do you smell smoke?". They were busting my chops I guess. My brother came up to me and said my name and that I blew smoke right in his face. That started a talk about smoking with the whole family. Now a minute later, I started throwing a small fit because they took it away from me. I yelled "Mommy!" So, apparently, I was addicted to them at that age and already smoking for about a year. Probably when i turned three. No one in my family made a big deal of it, so they all knew that I smoked. Well, 30 seconds later, the tape ended. cool! Man, I just wished I remembered this. So, with that all said, I have been addicted to cigarettes for 48 years out of my 51 years, with maybe 1-3 years of maybe not smoking(I am not sure)or smoked occasionally. I don't know...So that means I have been smoking for over 90% of my life. No lie, it's on tape. Seems like everybody in my family forgot this except my brother who made the tape. He was 16 then. Now when I turned age 11, I got the same smoking dreams over and over again of me lighting my own cigarette in the bathroom. Everytime I almost had it lit, someone would interrupt me and I would wake up. I wanted to smoke so bad. So, one day I came home after school, and there was a cigarette on the floor. Well, I immediately grabbed matches and went outside to smoke. Well, that was it. After dinner I stole two more from my mom and started smoking 3-4 a day. Stealing them, buying my own.

And finally, on Christmas day, 1965, after opening our Christmas presents we were all in the conversation, and out of the blue I said to my mom, "I want cigarette". She said 'Wait, wait". We left the conversation(her and I), the tape went on for 70 seconds and ended. So I was already, probably smoking for a year then. Then I have a picture from 1968 with me sitting at my drumset, and only mom's hand two feet from my face with a newly lit cigarette in it. It sure as hell look like she was going to give it to me. I managed to only smoke 15 cigarettes a day for the last 33 years which may save me since I have been smoking all of my life. I still can't believe I have been smoking my WHOLE life, 94% of it, which is truly fascinating and to hear me practically pleading for one at age three is mind boggling. Even if they made me quit for 1-2 years, I still have been addicted to them for 48 years. damn LOL I would guess I had no choice in the matter, at age two or three, but I just love cigarettes.