Hi, my name is Cheryl Harrison and I’m a smoker. (Hi, Cheryl!)
I started smoking when I was 17. The guy I was dating at the time was a smoker, and I thought that was gross. He lived in D.C., and I lived 5 hours away in the Wheeling, WV area. One day, we got into a fight. He went outside to smoke. Angry, and knowing it would make him angry, I went outside to smoke with him. He bought me my first pack of cigarettes that weekend. I smoked the entire pack by the time I had driven back to Wheeling.
At that time, I was working at McDonald’s. The only way to get a short break from work was to take a smoke break, so I started bringing cigarettes to work. I was also driving to D.C. every weekend, and needed something to keep myself awake. I started smoking regularly. After McDonald’s, I worked at a credit card telemarketing agency the summer before I left for college. Every time I got a sale, I got a 15 minute break. What else do you do with a 15 minute break but smoke? I started burning through a pack in an 8-hour shift, because I was a kickass sales rep and, thus, got a LOT of breaks.
The first time I visited Capital University, my now alma matter, I met my would-be roommate, who was also a smoker. We walked outside the dorm to smoke almost every hour, on the hour. And in between every class, I’d smoke. I met all the people who would become my friends early in college because they were also smokers. My roommate the next year? Also a smoker. We smoked in our house, which meant we smoked far more than we normally would have, had we needed to face the cold Ohio winters to get our fix. After that, I lived with first smoker girl again, so, again, smoke breaks almost every hour on the hour. The myriad of part-time jobs and internships all came equipped with one or more smoke buddies.
My grandmother died from lung cancer when I was 15. I promised her the last time I saw her that I would never start smoking. Then I turned 17, and started smoking to piss my boyfriend off. I’m kind of a dumbass sometimes.
But now, I’m out of college, I’m living with my non-smoker fiancee, I’m not working with smokers, and I’m on a tight budget. So my $80+ a MONTH (ugh) habit is, well, dumber than ever.
So starting today, I quit.
I’m (finally) getting an iPhone today. What the hell does that have to do with anything? Well, my stupid, poisonous habit costs as much as my cell phone plan will. So why the HELL would I continue a habit that most people find, rightfully, disgusting instead of being able to comfortably afford my new, cool gadget?
Hell if I know. Why didn’t I come to this realization a month ago?
Everytime I get the urge to smoke, well - I’m sure there’s an app for that 
Do you have a behavior you’re trying to change in your life? How are you going about it?
Seth Lilly says:
Congratulations, Cheryl! There will be times when you wish you hadn’t started down this path, but remember all of the benefits: better health, less expense, and an iPhone! Best wishes to you in your endeavor.
Dec 01, 2009, 1:40 pmSean says:
Good luck Cheryl. I quit 5 weeks ago and I’m not gonna lie, it is hard. The best thing I’ve learned is that if you slip up and do smoke, not to let that ruin everything you’ve done. You still quit, you just messed up. Good luck!
Dec 01, 2009, 1:51 pmMike says:
I smoked for 31 years. And quit several times in that period for months at time. On Dec 21st, I will have quit for 8 years. And I want to smoke one now, just because you brought it up. The fact that you haven’t smoked long might make it easier. Might not. But it won’t be easy at all. Good Luck. I have a feeling that you’re going to make it.
Dec 01, 2009, 2:04 pmMike McDermott says:
Good for you Cheryl, both for the iPhone and quitting smoking. I smoked for a dozen years and quit cuz my finacee asked me to. (see how easy that was?)
Dec 01, 2009, 2:22 pmTruthfully, the first couple weeks suck, but if you can get past those all of a sudden you will start feeling healthier, taking deeper breaths, etc. It is GOOD, so shoot for it.
And.. After you get you iPhone text me so we can sync apps and such.
Robert Rittenhouse says:
Good for you!! I influenced my wife to stop smoking when we got together. Also, i’m sure there is an app for that! haha.
I am very overweight so I am trying to stop my bad eating habits. I’m doing it slowly but, at the same time, its hard to get my wife to go along with it.
Good luck in your endeavor! I know that your a strong person and you will conqueror this. It will just take time.
Dec 01, 2009, 2:39 pmMsCatalysta says:
hurray Cheryl!! I’ll be your cheerleader! just call or tweet me whenever you need some motivation!!
I’m working on getting healthier with diet and exercise. Exercise is my top priority because once I get into a good routine, then I hopefully will want to start eating healthier. Trying to take it one step at a time so I actually stay with it and not give up after a month… I’ll keep you posted.
Dec 01, 2009, 3:48 pmBrent LaLonde says:
Good luck Cheryl!!!!
Dec 01, 2009, 3:56 pmMiss Natalie Lynn says:
Good for you, Cheryl! Cheers to your health (and the new iPhone!)
Dec 01, 2009, 4:26 pmCheryl says:
Thanks for all the encouragement!
Good luck Robert and Megan with your own personal quests for better health!
Dec 01, 2009, 4:32 pmLance says:
I’m smoking a cigarette as I read this.
Dec 01, 2009, 6:13 pmCheryl says:
LOL - thanks for the support, Lance - NOT!
Dec 01, 2009, 6:17 pmMihaela V says:
Getting an iPhone instead of smoking?! wow, that’s smart! and since the iPhone is so addictive, you won’t even remember to want to smoke. Well, you will, but you can totally do it. Quitting smoking was fairly easy for me - relapses only when I got angry with boyfriends, until one time I got all grossed out and needed to wash my hair and clothes after smoking one cigarette. It was not what I remembered it to be. It never is. Deep breathing is so much better!
Dec 01, 2009, 10:23 pmPete says:
You used to live in Wheeling?
Congrats on the decision to stop and committing to it publicly….there’s a lot of leverage there.
If you find yourself struggling, keep hypnosis in mind. It’s a great way to have flexibility in how you choose to handle the cravings…which is what it’s all about.
It’s all about being able to change your state when you get into that habitual craving mode…and change it in a way that relaxes you and feels good instead of filling the void with another addiction (food, crack, meth, etc…).
God speed…we’ll be cheering you on!
Dec 01, 2009, 6:17 am34 Free Apps I Instantly Put On My New iPhone | Being Cheryl: Social Media Marketing Tips from Columbus, Ohio says:
[...] finally got my iPhone! I decided takin’ a big bite of Apple was healthier than smoking which made it possible for me to finally get this fabulous [...]
Dec 01, 2009, 1:58 pmJem says:
It’s great how cutting out one bad habit can result in multiple positive results. I dramatically cut back on eating out to save money. I saved money and then some.
-new savings allowed me to buy fancier ingredients which made cooking far more enjoyable
-i realized for the price of one dinner out i could cook dinner for me and my friends. throw in a dvd and if someone brings some wine, that’s a good night!
-when i do go out, i can do so without stressing about how expensive it is
-i lost 7lbs!!!!!!!!!
I’ll have to cook you dinner to celebrate you quitting smoking!
Dec 01, 2009, 5:10 pmJacob Stoops says:
Congrats Cheryl! I heard this ad on the radio yesterday for people who want to quit smoking that made me laugh…
Their tag line was something like, “Working with you to kick butts!”
Very clever!
Dec 01, 2009, 2:11 pmErika Pryor says:
I thought about you the past couple of days. The hubbs and I are quitting smoking. For the last 24 hours I’ve had a nagging headache that would not go away, then it hit me, nicotine withdrawls. Keep up the good fight and remember, the headaches do go away!
Dec 01, 2009, 2:50 pmWeekly Non-Sequitur: Tell your boyfriend if he says he’s got beef that I’m a vegetarian & I ain’t effing scared of him | Being Cheryl: Social Media Marketing Tips from Columbus, Ohio says:
[...] so if anything, I’m drinking more. And I still sneak the occasional bar cigarette, despite (ahem) previous statements, which also wasn’t a health-motivated [...]
Dec 01, 2009, 9:16 pm