My prayers are with you,Ed, as you try to give up smoking. In my experience, it would be a great act of love for those who love you.
I’m not sure you’ll read this or care to read further. That’s fine.
Disclaimer: Disease or a lessening of health are not an absolute given for smokers.
On a personal note, lung cancer was discovered in my mother when she was 59. She had smoked since about age 16. She lived almost 15 years after her first diagnosis followed quickly by removal of a lung. We are eternally grateful for all that time.
Her life and physical abilities changed drastically after that first surgery. I believe she thought if she got sick, she’d either be healed and go back to normal or she’d die quickly. That didn’t happen. That said, she tackled each day with grace and strength. Mostly.
Her regret, and the regret of those who love her, was that so much wind was knocked out of her sails. (Pun intended.) Her three youngest grandchildren only knew her after her illness limited her. There were so many aspects about my dad’s retirement they were unable to enjoy, family events she couldn’t attend, or actually “doing things” to show her love for us that she was sad about no longer being able to enjoy, attend, or do.
Again, I will pray for your efforts and I encourage you to continue to try - for the sake of all those who love you and hope you remain strong and healthy for a long time.
Here’s to a Lent dominated by mountains of pistachios. Happy munching!!
At the risk of being an overly engaged commenter on tangent podcast topics….
Totally different topic: thoughts vs feelings.
You are correct that in common conversation we use the word “feel” followed by a thought, not usually a feeling.
In Worldwide Marriage Encounter (https://wwme.org/) we have a test for that.
If you say, “I feel that….” or, “I feel like….” then you have expressed a thought, not a feeling. If you try to use “that” or “like” and it doesn’t make sense, you’ve expressed a feeling.
“I feel like going for a walk.” This is a thought, though, not a feeling. Better to say, “I think I’ll go for a walk.”
If you say, “I feel restless,” you’ve expressed a feeling. You wouldn’t say, “I feel like restless.” It doesn’t make sense.
“I feel restless. I think I’ll go for a walk.” In this case, you’ve expressed a actual feeling followed by a thought.
Good luck on clearing that up in everyday conversation!
Steve McCroskey (played by Lloyd Bridges) is the character who regrets trying to give up a comical series of drugs in "Airplane!"—"I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue!," et al.—not Dr. Rumack (played by Leslie Nielsen).
(Haven't listened to the entire podcast yet so I am thinking only of Lenten penances and the giving up of things not specifically for penance.) I reckon that I am going to log out and consume no news or podcasts during Lent in order to spend the time and energy learning Koine Greek - how hard could it be? (never tell me the odds). This is not a penance - to be aware of news in the Church is suffering and to be not aware is therefore not a penance - but since Lent is a time when we are more open to change (or ought to be) and when we ought to be willing to receive surprising graces (we ought always to be willing but seasons are a reminder), it is reasonable to align "I have been meaning to do this one thing (e.g. quit smoking)" with the season and also to beg for divine assistance which will always be forthcoming (although sometimes it is assistance for something different than we expected.)
It could be really hard. My classics professor said it took 4 years to be proficient in Latin and 10 in Greek. My Latin's fine. I eventually gave away all my Greek books as a lost cause.
oh man. That is also my One Thing. It never occurred to me to buckle down for it for Lent one year. I think it is probably too late for this year but gahhhhhhhhhhhh
Ok Bridget I found a free online video course put out by Center for Hellenic Studies (here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq5ea-jR9u2puDaLoRL-nBkpwrkURbLjT&si=UDh7aIfQALyJC4Ja ) and I purchased the (not too expensive! I was shocked!) textbook to go along with it. If I swear off true crime podcasts for Lent I should have time to make some headway.
Yes I realize this is for Attic Greek not Koine Greek, but what I understand from the rabbit hole I just went on is that at a beginner level they’re very similar, so it’s reasonable to just learn from available resources.
I used to smoke 2 packs of cigarettes a day. I also have ADHD, which enabled me to quit painlessly. My best friend at the time took me to her house for 10 days while her parents were overseas because in the middle of nowhere it's safer to have other people around just in case something bad happens. I had agreed not to smoke there. She popped Tom Baker Dr. Who videos in the Betamax, and I was so busy watching TV that I didn't notice I wasn't smoking. We did drink Vernon's Ginger Ale also. I didn't even notice if I had withdrawal symptoms because I was watching TV.
Ed, you are fully correct about Taylor Swift. Don't let the vacuous mob that follow her gaslight you into changing your mind.
"Do I want to go watch Slovenian birds MATE??" was not on my bingo card for this morning.
My prayers are with you,Ed, as you try to give up smoking. In my experience, it would be a great act of love for those who love you.
I’m not sure you’ll read this or care to read further. That’s fine.
Disclaimer: Disease or a lessening of health are not an absolute given for smokers.
On a personal note, lung cancer was discovered in my mother when she was 59. She had smoked since about age 16. She lived almost 15 years after her first diagnosis followed quickly by removal of a lung. We are eternally grateful for all that time.
Her life and physical abilities changed drastically after that first surgery. I believe she thought if she got sick, she’d either be healed and go back to normal or she’d die quickly. That didn’t happen. That said, she tackled each day with grace and strength. Mostly.
Her regret, and the regret of those who love her, was that so much wind was knocked out of her sails. (Pun intended.) Her three youngest grandchildren only knew her after her illness limited her. There were so many aspects about my dad’s retirement they were unable to enjoy, family events she couldn’t attend, or actually “doing things” to show her love for us that she was sad about no longer being able to enjoy, attend, or do.
Again, I will pray for your efforts and I encourage you to continue to try - for the sake of all those who love you and hope you remain strong and healthy for a long time.
Here’s to a Lent dominated by mountains of pistachios. Happy munching!!
At the risk of being an overly engaged commenter on tangent podcast topics….
Totally different topic: thoughts vs feelings.
You are correct that in common conversation we use the word “feel” followed by a thought, not usually a feeling.
In Worldwide Marriage Encounter (https://wwme.org/) we have a test for that.
If you say, “I feel that….” or, “I feel like….” then you have expressed a thought, not a feeling. If you try to use “that” or “like” and it doesn’t make sense, you’ve expressed a feeling.
“I feel like going for a walk.” This is a thought, though, not a feeling. Better to say, “I think I’ll go for a walk.”
If you say, “I feel restless,” you’ve expressed a feeling. You wouldn’t say, “I feel like restless.” It doesn’t make sense.
“I feel restless. I think I’ll go for a walk.” In this case, you’ve expressed a actual feeling followed by a thought.
Good luck on clearing that up in everyday conversation!
Steve McCroskey (played by Lloyd Bridges) is the character who regrets trying to give up a comical series of drugs in "Airplane!"—"I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue!," et al.—not Dr. Rumack (played by Leslie Nielsen).
(Haven't listened to the entire podcast yet so I am thinking only of Lenten penances and the giving up of things not specifically for penance.) I reckon that I am going to log out and consume no news or podcasts during Lent in order to spend the time and energy learning Koine Greek - how hard could it be? (never tell me the odds). This is not a penance - to be aware of news in the Church is suffering and to be not aware is therefore not a penance - but since Lent is a time when we are more open to change (or ought to be) and when we ought to be willing to receive surprising graces (we ought always to be willing but seasons are a reminder), it is reasonable to align "I have been meaning to do this one thing (e.g. quit smoking)" with the season and also to beg for divine assistance which will always be forthcoming (although sometimes it is assistance for something different than we expected.)
It could be really hard. My classics professor said it took 4 years to be proficient in Latin and 10 in Greek. My Latin's fine. I eventually gave away all my Greek books as a lost cause.
oh man. That is also my One Thing. It never occurred to me to buckle down for it for Lent one year. I think it is probably too late for this year but gahhhhhhhhhhhh
Ok Bridget I found a free online video course put out by Center for Hellenic Studies (here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq5ea-jR9u2puDaLoRL-nBkpwrkURbLjT&si=UDh7aIfQALyJC4Ja ) and I purchased the (not too expensive! I was shocked!) textbook to go along with it. If I swear off true crime podcasts for Lent I should have time to make some headway.
Consider me #influenced.
I would ETA if Substack let me:
Yes I realize this is for Attic Greek not Koine Greek, but what I understand from the rabbit hole I just went on is that at a beginner level they’re very similar, so it’s reasonable to just learn from available resources.
I am a young female Millennial, and I do not understand the adulation of Taylor Swift either. Stand strong, Ed.
Teenagers tend to have teenybopper tastes. You just have to wait until they grow up and develop more adult appreciation of music.
I used to smoke 2 packs of cigarettes a day. I also have ADHD, which enabled me to quit painlessly. My best friend at the time took me to her house for 10 days while her parents were overseas because in the middle of nowhere it's safer to have other people around just in case something bad happens. I had agreed not to smoke there. She popped Tom Baker Dr. Who videos in the Betamax, and I was so busy watching TV that I didn't notice I wasn't smoking. We did drink Vernon's Ginger Ale also. I didn't even notice if I had withdrawal symptoms because I was watching TV.
I am so relieved to hear someone else express the absolute bafflement I feel at TaylorMania.
She’s fine. She’s absolutely fine. I do not hate her. I do not object to her in any way. She is PLENTY OK WITH ME!
I just….don’t…..get it.