What made you decide?

[steffanan]

Turned 18, and didn't do any thing with my "new rights" like buy lottery or tobacco. The thought of tobacco grossed me out, and its really unlike me to try something like that. Almost nineteen, and have never drank a sip, don't like parties, and am anti drugs of all sorts. I like to think I'm too mature to need that sort of fun. Anyway, about two months after being of age, I was on a trip and felt like being rebellious, or trying something new at least. Considered buying a gas station cigar, but talked myself out of it because I didn't feel right about sneaking behind my parents back. Put it out of my mind for a few days, but then laying in bed at home I wondered what a cigar is like. Did a google search and boom. That's where it started. Correct ways to light them, different shapes, flavour changes in every third, different ways to cut the cap, so much interesting stuff to learn. Its like i for the first time in my life tapped into a classy hobby where I can for 2 hours at a time, act as elegant, or thoughtful as i would like. So, I did enough research online to convince myself I couldn't get addicted, and that they are not that bad for me, and I then worked for a week on convincing my parents that its just something I want to try now that I'm 18, and it will probably wear out of my system. That was 5 months ago, and now I have 26 (and counting)cigars in a 100 cigar humidor, a 50 dollar lighter, and hundreds into the hobby, and I'm stuck on it now. Parents are allowing it and only get upset when I try to smoke maybe 2 times in a week, saying its too often, and I'm going to die of cancer.

[CoventryCat86]

Thanks for your experience steffanan. As far as cancer, if it runs in one's family, one's chances of getting cancer are higher than someone who has no family history of cancer. I've seen cases of people winding up with cancer that lead they healthiest of lives and other cases where people abused themselves and died of everything under the sun except cancer.

[ggiese]

Turned 18, and didn't do any thing with my "new rights" like buy lottery or tobacco. The thought of tobacco grossed me out, and its really unlike me to try something like that. Almost nineteen, and have never drank a sip, don't like parties, and am anti drugs of all sorts. I like to think I'm too mature to need that sort of fun. Anyway, about two months after being of age, I was on a trip and felt like being rebellious, or trying something new at least. Considered buying a gas station cigar, but talked myself out of it because I didn't feel right about sneaking behind my parents back. Put it out of my mind for a few days, but then laying in bed at home I wondered what a cigar is like. Did a google search and boom. That's where it started. Correct ways to light them, different shapes, flavour changes in every third, different ways to cut the cap, so much interesting stuff to learn. Its like i for the first time in my life tapped into a classy hobby where I can for 2 hours at a time, act as elegant, or thoughtful as i would like. So, I did enough research online to convince myself I couldn't get addicted, and that they are not that bad for me, and I then worked for a week on convincing my parents that its just something I want to try now that I'm 18, and it will probably wear out of my system. That was 5 months ago, and now I have 26 (and counting)cigars in a 100 cigar humidor, a 50 dollar lighter, and hundreds into the hobby, and I'm stuck on it now. Parents are allowing it and only get upset when I try to smoke maybe 2 times in a week, saying its too often, and I'm going to die of cancer.

My son and I very much enjoy smoking together. Now that he's over 21, I even share some Scotch with him from time to time. Those "special" moments are always meaningful to me and him - and he, too, is coming to "appreciate" a good cigar.

I don't necessarily want to encourage you - but I also don't want to discourage you. I just hope whatever you decide, you do in moderation and it does not overrun your life.