Chez 5 Years
CHERYL RAMBLES:

Where did all that money go $13,256.76?
My Void Course
A Five Year Ramble
May 28, 2007

     I could have never imagined back on May 28, 2002 that I would be sitting 3000 miles across the country sitting down to type up a five year quit smoking ramble. I honestly do not even know what to write! The five year mark has been a real big deal to me. For some reason my 1st year and 3rd year were very striking. Maybe it has to do with odd numbers? But WOOOHOOO five years ago I quit smoking and it was the BEST day of my life!!!!!!!! I now believe my lungs are completely healed and I am so happy not to be glued to such an addiction. I can remember running out of airports to smoke, in and out of security. Could you imagine now with the security, I most likely would have had heart failure not being able to pass in and out of security whilst I wait at airports! So yes I would be dead! I could go on how awful the smell was, how bad it was for my health and let's not forget the cost. Between Gas and smoking if I still smoked I would have to get a third job! If the airport did not kill me three jobs would! Besides all that stuff, do you know what the best thing is to me about quitting smoking? It is freedom from the addiction and knowing that if I can quit that addiction, I can do anything I set my mind to! That is right, I set my mind to it and it happened. Simple? No not at all, in fact I was reminded of the frenzy, you know that nervous energy when you want to smoke, but know in your heart you quit and you run around your house/life and have stuff half done and forget where you put things and sometimes you get that nervous stomach and fast heartbeat from the oxygen and blood that is now flowing through your body, but instead of realizing it is detoxing from the pollution in your body you slip into the thoughts you are having a panic attack and think you are flipping out? You know that feeling? Well I assure you that that really does pass! Be rest assured it's not a panic attack, you are feeling what it is like not to be intoxicated by chemicals!

     So what is the frenzy about? I recently received a free corner desk/table and it had to be unscrewed into three pieces to fit in my car. When I finally brought the pieces into the house, I realized I had broken one of the corners. So I have this desk all up in my office and it is on its third attempt to be glued. The desk it like a large island in my office, it really has caused disruption in my life. It seems to have left me off centered, running around with things half done, half projects and cleaning all over my house. Kitchen half cleaned, house not cleaned, laundry half done and I could go on. So besides having plans to run errands and meet up for a Reiki session, I have done everything to avoid not only the desk but the house. So I went out instead! Well, I was being punished for that, I was overcharged on a sale item at the store, 411 tried to tell me they did not have a listing for something I verified in the phone book, the car shop did not complete me service and something I ordered by mail arrived in a used condition/broken! Some one told me there was a void course in progress which is some astrology term for a bunch of chaos, well it's true. When I got home I thought, OMG I have to write my ramble and I realized that five years later I was in the same frenzy I was when I quit smoking. Mind you this is not my typical state of being, but it was funny how that frantic discombobulating appeared.

     Discombobulating is my favorite work btw! So what I used to do is run around until I got it done and would pass out from exhaustion each night, no time to dream about smoking there. Today I remembered, smiled and took a deep breath and raced around trying to clean up some of the half done jobs and started to write my ramble. Deep breathe void course, its just a void course or is it coarse? But, you know? I have the least desire to ever smoke again! I am cured!

I am so blessed to have embarked on this path of beating the addiction of smoking. I have met the most awesome people through Freedom Village and also now my web pages. I am proudly part of a quit smoking mentoring program which give others trying to quit smoking just someone to talk to and support the journey of quitting smoking. For all my friends who have supported me endlessly for the past 5 years and all the smokers have quit or are working on there quit, I love and cherish you with every bit of my heart!
No smoking!

Peace
Love & Reiki Blessings
Cheryl aka Chez
Five years, 0 minutes and 3 seconds. 54780 cigarettes not smoked, saving $13,256.76. Life saved: 27 weeks, 1 day, 5 hours, 0 minutes. Where did all that money go?


Cheryl's Index of Web Pages
Where you can find Chez.
WebPage
Link
Cheryl's HOMEPAGE
Chez MySpace page
MultiMillie's Quit Smoking Page
Quit Smoking Mentors
Freedom Village Non-Smoking Forum
Chez Four Year Quit Celebration
Chez One Year Quit Celebration
FV Member Rambles/Journeys


Note from Bubba on May 28, 2007:
This is what I wrote for ((Chez)) last year and it still applies to my thoughts for this year.  Congratulations ((((Chez))))!
  About Chez and Freedom Village as I remember it...................

Chez, Mags and I go back aways, along with a few others in FV.  As for Chez I remember having meet her for the first time back on another board called Blairsville.....lets see....that would have been back in 02 if I'm not mistaken. Chez was then known as Cheryl but when many of us moved to Freedom Village Cheryl chose the name Chez so that another member could keep her name, which was also Cheryl.  

Chez was only in her quit for a few months when we founded FV.  Unfortunately, shortly after the Village was founded there was one conflict after another between people of the Village and with that of another forum, but yet......Chez  held firmly to her quit through all the stress on the forums and in her life.  Time after time I felt I should give up the very existance of FV.  My self esteem often would  drop  to a dangerous level after so much negative input from others.......but yet.......Chez was always there for me as a friend, giving encouragement to hold to the reasons I started Freedom Village in the first place and to my quit. When I relapsed, she wouldn't judge me for my failure but continued to be a friend for me when I needed someone.

She posted less and less in FV..... life was moving on for our Chez .........she became one of those silent angels in the background who looked over each person who came to the Village.

Chez and I have always been in touch through emails and whenever possible she tries to let others know in FV what a great thing they are doing for themselves when they quit.  

As for her charactor.......here is what I have come to learn about my freind who has reached this milestone in her  life.....she is a loyal friend, honest, trustworthy, a peace maker, patient and loves all living things. When you've made a friend with Chez...........you've made a friend for life! These gifs will hopefully bring you fond memories from years past (((Chez))).

((((((((Chez)))))))) CONGRATULATIONS my friend for this very special day!

LYMI My Friend,
<Bubba smiling from ear to ear>
Bubba


I've Had The Time of My Life