AS3 - My Lifeline

I've had three "serious" quits since 1995. The first one...way back
in '95....went for about 18 months. I stopped reading and posting
to AS3 for some time before I relapsed. The middle quit, without
any interaction with AS3 at all, lasted about 7 months. I used the
murder of my best friend as an excuse to start smoking again. The
current quit has become my second longest on record. I credit the
support in AS3 for this. Building upon the knowledge of what I
learned from the previous two quits, I've resolved to stay in touch
with this newsgroup "til death do us part".

There is NOTHING like a support group (in my opinion) to make the
impossible possible. I have no idea why...but for some reason,
reaching out to OTHERS to help THEM seems to end up helping me even
more. Hmmm...sounds familiar: "Its in Giving That We Receive".

I'm really not the brightest light on the tree....even though I
often delude myself into thinking so. If I were...I would have
kicked this smoking thing decades ago. But I am grateful that I'm
able to learn...even at this late stage of life.

Speaking of gratitude...I'm grateful for everyone here who shares
frequently and does their best to be supportive while struggling to
overcome an insidious addiction.

Without this type of support, I'd still be smoking my way into an
early grave. So in a real sense, I owe my life to AS3.

---
Wayne Baker
Nicotine Free: 10M 1w 2d 8h 12m
Not Smoked: 9,121
Money Better Spent: $1,504.97

You don't owe AS3 nothing Wayne because you give back. this place only works
because people l,ike you, are willing to give some of what they were given
back to others.
You might balk and say " but it isn't nearly as much as I got" but it is
the snowball effect. you do some and everyone else does some and then
**poof** a big old blizzard is happening and Polar Bears are coming out of
the woodwork.

--
Lynn VOF+ Leaper
"Everyone seems normal until you get to know them."



"Wayne" <nospamloansarranger@cox.net> wrote in message
news:Xns9ABCC6CDD7D75dloansarrangercoxnet@69.28.18 6.120...
> I've had three "serious" quits since 1995. The first one...way back
> in '95....went for about 18 months. I stopped reading and posting
> to AS3 for some time before I relapsed. The middle quit, without
> any interaction with AS3 at all, lasted about 7 months. I used the
> murder of my best friend as an excuse to start smoking again. The
> current quit has become my second longest on record. I credit the
> support in AS3 for this. Building upon the knowledge of what I
> learned from the previous two quits, I've resolved to stay in touch
> with this newsgroup "til death do us part".
>
> There is NOTHING like a support group (in my opinion) to make the
> impossible possible. I have no idea why...but for some reason,
> reaching out to OTHERS to help THEM seems to end up helping me even
> more. Hmmm...sounds familiar: "Its in Giving That We Receive".
>
> I'm really not the brightest light on the tree....even though I
> often delude myself into thinking so. If I were...I would have
> kicked this smoking thing decades ago. But I am grateful that I'm
> able to learn...even at this late stage of life.
>
> Speaking of gratitude...I'm grateful for everyone here who shares
> frequently and does their best to be supportive while struggling to
> overcome an insidious addiction.
>
> Without this type of support, I'd still be smoking my way into an
> early grave. So in a real sense, I owe my life to AS3.
>
> ---
> Wayne Baker
> Nicotine Free: 10M 1w 2d 8h 12m
> Not Smoked: 9,121
> Money Better Spent: $1,504.97
>
>
>
>
>

On Jun 13, 7:32*pm, Wayne <nospamloansarran...@cox.net> wrote:
> I've had three "serious" quits since 1995. *The first one...way back
> in '95....went for about 18 months. *I stopped reading and posting
> to AS3 for some time before I relapsed. *The middle quit, without
> any interaction with AS3 at all, lasted about 7 months. *I used the
> murder of my best friend as an excuse to start smoking again. *The
> current quit has become my second longest on record. *I credit the
> support in AS3 for this. *Building upon the knowledge of what I
> learned from the previous two quits, I've resolved to stay in touch
> with this newsgroup "til death do us part".
>
> There is NOTHING like a support group (in my opinion) to make the
> impossible possible. *I have no idea why...but for some reason,
> reaching out to OTHERS to help THEM seems to end up helping me even
> more. * Hmmm...sounds familiar: *"Its in Giving That We Receive".
>
> I'm really not the brightest light on the tree....even though I
> often delude myself into thinking so. *If I were...I would have
> kicked this smoking thing decades ago. *But I am grateful that I'm
> able to learn...even at this late stage of life.
>
> Speaking of gratitude...I'm grateful for everyone here who shares
> frequently and does their best to be supportive while struggling to
> overcome an insidious addiction.
>
> Without this type of support, I'd still be smoking my way into an
> early grave. *So in a real sense, I owe my life to AS3.
>
> ---
> Wayne *Baker
> Nicotine Free: *10M 1w 2d 8h 12m
> Not Smoked: *9,121
> Money Better Spent: *$1,504.97

I agree Wayne. Saved my life. SAVES my life. I tell anyone who will
listen and just bear up under the eye rolling response. I think
people have to be saved by support in order to understand not how it
works (I think it defies understanding) but THAT it works.

I just know I have a large extended family that I think about as often
as my RL friends and family. And count on just as much.

Very well said, Wayne. I'm pretty sure I'd have fallen if not for
AS3. The main reason for me is that everyone is so nice here and I
know I'd have to report a lapse and I just can't do that.
I sometimes think about stopping posting because my words aren't
anywhere near as inspiring and wise as so many others. Not a day goes
by that I don't think, "Wow, I wish I'd thought to say that." But, we
each add what we can.
Wayne, I'm so glad you're here.
Sue

On Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:32:35 GMT, Wayne <nospamloansarranger@cox.net>
wrote:

>I've had three "serious" quits since 1995. The first one...way back
>in '95....went for about 18 months. I stopped reading and posting
>to AS3 for some time before I relapsed. The middle quit, without
>any interaction with AS3 at all, lasted about 7 months. I used the
>murder of my best friend as an excuse to start smoking again. The
>current quit has become my second longest on record. I credit the
>support in AS3 for this. Building upon the knowledge of what I
>learned from the previous two quits, I've resolved to stay in touch
>with this newsgroup "til death do us part".
>
>There is NOTHING like a support group (in my opinion) to make the
>impossible possible. I have no idea why...but for some reason,
>reaching out to OTHERS to help THEM seems to end up helping me even
>more. Hmmm...sounds familiar: "Its in Giving That We Receive".
>
>I'm really not the brightest light on the tree....even though I
>often delude myself into thinking so. If I were...I would have
>kicked this smoking thing decades ago. But I am grateful that I'm
>able to learn...even at this late stage of life.
>
>Speaking of gratitude...I'm grateful for everyone here who shares
>frequently and does their best to be supportive while struggling to
>overcome an insidious addiction.
>
>Without this type of support, I'd still be smoking my way into an
>early grave. So in a real sense, I owe my life to AS3.
>
>---
>Wayne Baker
>Nicotine Free: 10M 1w 2d 8h 12m
>Not Smoked: 9,121
>Money Better Spent: $1,504.97
>
>
>
>

Well said indeed, Wayne. I don't know if I would have been able to
stay smober without AS3. I had support from my best friend, who's been
quit for a long time and can't really remember the whole process; my
boyfriend, who has never smoked and hadn't the foggiest what I was
going through; and my mom, ditto. And I wasn't doing too well at being
my own support. AS3 filled that void for me and now I feel like
Stephanie does: I've got a large extended family.

I haven't been here as long as some of you. I haven't attended any
meets or met any of you in person. But I've grown to know and love you
dearly. You've helped me through quitting and lots of other stuff too!

Love
Ashley

On Jun 13, 10:41*pm, writer272002 <writer272...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Well said indeed, Wayne. I don't know if I would have been able to
> stay smober without AS3. I had support from my best friend, who's been
> quit for a long time and can't really remember the whole process; my
> boyfriend, who has never smoked and hadn't the foggiest what I was
> going through; and my mom, ditto. And I wasn't doing too well at being
> my own support. AS3 filled that void for me and now I feel like
> Stephanie does: I've got a large extended family.
>
> I haven't been here as long as some of you. I haven't attended any
> meets or met any of you in person. But I've grown to know and love you
> dearly. You've helped me through quitting and lots of other stuff too!
>
> Love
> Ashley

You know Ash, this really is my extended family. I grew up with only
one sibling, the daughter of two only children parents, and with all
grandparents dead. I have no Aunts, Uncles, cousins, anything.

Well, except now I do. I think of you guys on a Hallmark holidays,
love to hear what is going on around your tables, how your kids are
doing, want to know what is on your hot sexy grils, how your 4 legged
friends are doing. I'm grateful to have so many to care about.

Speaking of caring, where is our Cat? I don't think I'll be able to
sleep if we don't hear from her.

love Stephanie

Wayne, you owe your life to yourself. AS3 is your...Crutch, if you will,
but we did not make you quit smoking. YOU made you quit smoking. So, be
proud my friend. You may not be the brightest light on the tree, but you
sure are a shining star.

Thank you for a great post, and thank you for being there for me when I
needed someone

--
AZ
I have been quit for 1 Year, 1 Week, 4 Days, 8 hours and 12 minutes (377
days). But I don't know what happened to the $3,301.73 I saved by not
smoking 18,867 cigarettes. I have recovered 2 Months, 4 Days, 12 hours and
15 minutes of my life.

"Wayne" <nospamloansarranger@cox.net> wrote in message
news:Xns9ABCC6CDD7D75dloansarrangercoxnet@69.28.18 6.120...
> I've had three "serious" quits since 1995. The first one...way back
> in '95....went for about 18 months. I stopped reading and posting
> to AS3 for some time before I relapsed. The middle quit, without
> any interaction with AS3 at all, lasted about 7 months. I used the
> murder of my best friend as an excuse to start smoking again. The
> current quit has become my second longest on record. I credit the
> support in AS3 for this. Building upon the knowledge of what I
> learned from the previous two quits, I've resolved to stay in touch
> with this newsgroup "til death do us part".
>
> There is NOTHING like a support group (in my opinion) to make the
> impossible possible. I have no idea why...but for some reason,
> reaching out to OTHERS to help THEM seems to end up helping me even
> more. Hmmm...sounds familiar: "Its in Giving That We Receive".
>
> I'm really not the brightest light on the tree....even though I
> often delude myself into thinking so. If I were...I would have
> kicked this smoking thing decades ago. But I am grateful that I'm
> able to learn...even at this late stage of life.
>
> Speaking of gratitude...I'm grateful for everyone here who shares
> frequently and does their best to be supportive while struggling to
> overcome an insidious addiction.
>
> Without this type of support, I'd still be smoking my way into an
> early grave. So in a real sense, I owe my life to AS3.
>
> ---
> Wayne Baker
> Nicotine Free: 10M 1w 2d 8h 12m
> Not Smoked: 9,121
> Money Better Spent: $1,504.97
>
>
>
>
>

On Jun 13, 6:32*pm, Wayne <nospamloansarran...@cox.net> wrote:
> I've had three "serious" quits since 1995. *The first one...way back
> in '95....went for about 18 months. *I stopped reading and posting
> to AS3 for some time before I relapsed. *The middle quit, without
> any interaction with AS3 at all, lasted about 7 months. *I used the
> murder of my best friend as an excuse to start smoking again. *The
> current quit has become my second longest on record. *I credit the
> support in AS3 for this. *Building upon the knowledge of what I
> learned from the previous two quits, I've resolved to stay in touch
> with this newsgroup "til death do us part".
>
> There is NOTHING like a support group (in my opinion) to make the
> impossible possible. *I have no idea why...but for some reason,
> reaching out to OTHERS to help THEM seems to end up helping me even
> more. * Hmmm...sounds familiar: *"Its in Giving That We Receive".
>
> I'm really not the brightest light on the tree....even though I
> often delude myself into thinking so. *If I were...I would have
> kicked this smoking thing decades ago. *But I am grateful that I'm
> able to learn...even at this late stage of life.
>
> Speaking of gratitude...I'm grateful for everyone here who shares
> frequently and does their best to be supportive while struggling to
> overcome an insidious addiction.
>
> Without this type of support, I'd still be smoking my way into an
> early grave. *So in a real sense, I owe my life to AS3.


Me too!
>
> ---
> Wayne *Baker
> Nicotine Free: *10M 1w 2d 8h 12m
> Not Smoked: *9,121
> Money Better Spent: *$1,504.97

Thank you, Wayne, for posting this. I certainly share your sentiments
and do expect that I'll become a Jef. or Edna Pearl or Joyce as the
years go on and I will still post even if not as much as I currently
do. I do know keeping my focus on smobriety is crucial to smacking
down any form of stinking thinking that I can entertain. I do agree
that the more you give the more you get from this setting and I am
glad that is how the process works! The more we all post the
healthier we can all become!

FlatironMike
One year, four months, four days, 15 hours, 16 minutes and 55 seconds.
9812 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,943.57. Life saved: 4 weeks, 6
days, 1 hour, 40 minutes.