2008 Woodie Awards
Smoking cuts quality of life for many
By Jess Rupell
Issue date: 10/21/05 Section: Opinion
Picture this: you are eight years old and just had to face that a neighbor has passed away from lung cancer and you will never see them again. Now picture this: Having to learn that the exact same thing is going to happen to your daddy in matter of months, weeks or days. Unfortunately, I cannot just say this is a fictional story.
This is the true story of my uncle and cousin.
Forty years. The time when you are supposed to just starting to go "over the hill." For my uncle, this very well could be his last year. The culprit: smoking. Now, though I know many readers smoke and will continue to smoke after reading this, all I can say is, it's your life to live. However, if you truly wish to quit and just need something to really encourage and push you, read on.
My father's youngest brother, my Uncle Jim, began smoking during his teenage years. Of course, at that time, the dangers of smoking were not nearly as widely known as they are today. However, over the years, and with some hiding of his activities, he continued to smoke, and the hazards became more of a reality.
Since approximately March of last year, he has been in an exhausting battle for his life, and is slowly losing. Diagnosed with lung cancer that has since spread, he has gone through numerous chemotherapy treatments and radiation, has endured pain that I can't even imagine, and has had to face the fact that every day might be his last. However, this has only proved to be somewhat of an inspiration to him. If you've ever heard the song, "Live Like You Were Dying", by Tim McGraw, then you know what I mean. After being a police officer for many years, he went back to school and graduated from Albright in June. He also renewed his vows with my aunt and has tried to do things that he has always wanted to do in life. Unfortunately, though, many people won't live like this unless they know that they only have a short time to live.
My uncle is an amazing man who has accomplished so much, and it kills me inside to know that something like cancer caused by years of smoking is preventable. He could have completely avoided this situation. Though I certainly don't hate him for the choices he made, I wish things could be different. I wish he could see my cousin, Dakota, graduate high school and get married. I wish he could see ME get married. I wish he could always be here with the sarcastic comments that got him the nickname "Kidder." I wish that so many people in my family would stop dying on me, and that people in general would stop killing themselves with "cancer sticks," because, believe it or not, this could be you in 30 years.
Maybe I don't understand how hard it is to stop smoking, and maybe I don't understand why people start smoking in the first place, but I do understand that I care about my friends and family more than anything, and I refuse to sit back and watch them have the same inevitable fate as my uncle.
Smoking doesn't just affect you, it affects all those who love you and want nothing more than to see you avoid cancer at all costs. If nothing else, please, just think about it.
This is the true story of my uncle and cousin.
Forty years. The time when you are supposed to just starting to go "over the hill." For my uncle, this very well could be his last year. The culprit: smoking. Now, though I know many readers smoke and will continue to smoke after reading this, all I can say is, it's your life to live. However, if you truly wish to quit and just need something to really encourage and push you, read on.
My father's youngest brother, my Uncle Jim, began smoking during his teenage years. Of course, at that time, the dangers of smoking were not nearly as widely known as they are today. However, over the years, and with some hiding of his activities, he continued to smoke, and the hazards became more of a reality.
Since approximately March of last year, he has been in an exhausting battle for his life, and is slowly losing. Diagnosed with lung cancer that has since spread, he has gone through numerous chemotherapy treatments and radiation, has endured pain that I can't even imagine, and has had to face the fact that every day might be his last. However, this has only proved to be somewhat of an inspiration to him. If you've ever heard the song, "Live Like You Were Dying", by Tim McGraw, then you know what I mean. After being a police officer for many years, he went back to school and graduated from Albright in June. He also renewed his vows with my aunt and has tried to do things that he has always wanted to do in life. Unfortunately, though, many people won't live like this unless they know that they only have a short time to live.
My uncle is an amazing man who has accomplished so much, and it kills me inside to know that something like cancer caused by years of smoking is preventable. He could have completely avoided this situation. Though I certainly don't hate him for the choices he made, I wish things could be different. I wish he could see my cousin, Dakota, graduate high school and get married. I wish he could see ME get married. I wish he could always be here with the sarcastic comments that got him the nickname "Kidder." I wish that so many people in my family would stop dying on me, and that people in general would stop killing themselves with "cancer sticks," because, believe it or not, this could be you in 30 years.
Maybe I don't understand how hard it is to stop smoking, and maybe I don't understand why people start smoking in the first place, but I do understand that I care about my friends and family more than anything, and I refuse to sit back and watch them have the same inevitable fate as my uncle.
Smoking doesn't just affect you, it affects all those who love you and want nothing more than to see you avoid cancer at all costs. If nothing else, please, just think about it.
