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January 10, 2002 - Smokey
Welcome to 2TheHeart!
"Our duty is to be useful, not according to our desires but according to our powers." ~Henry F. Amiel
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Today's story is both a tribute to the strength within a special man to overcome the most difficult of habits, and also to a remarkable
(and scary) nurse who "helped" him find the will to do it!
"SMOKEY"
by Michael Segal
Every morning he would awaken, put a cigarette in his mouth, and then get out of bed. It was his compulsive behavior. By the time he would go to sleep, he would have smoked three packs of cigarettes, and then he would begin that cycle all over again the next morning.
That person was my father; however, that "smoking pattern" was not yesterday, rather it was in the 1950's. That behavior was his norm and his regular routine long before the Surgeon General warned of the dangers of smoking cigarettes -- long before the warning was tattooed on the sides of each package of cigarettes showing the hazards that might be experienced by those who were habitual smokers.
Once my father was a patient in the hospital, not for lung cancer
(thank God), but a fever that had the doctors baffled. My father had been in the hospital quite some time and he was sharing a semi-private room with a series of patients who came and went as their ailments were treated and cured.
One day, the nurse entered the room to take my father's roommate's vital signs. However, my father was smoking his cigarette in bed. My father's new roommate had an oxygen tent adjacent to his bed and next to the oxygen tent was a small sign that read: "No Smoking --- Oxygen in Use."
As the nurse was leaving the hospital room she politely asked my
father to extinguish his cigarette. My father, however, continued
smoking. Five minutes later the nurse returned and noticed that my father was still smoking. She therefore indignantly cried out, "I thought I asked you to put the cigarette out."
"You did," replied my father.
The nurse then stated in a puzzled manner, "Sir, can you read that
sign next to the oxygen tent? What does that sign say?"
My father read the sign out loud to her with a smile on his face.
"So," the nurse asked, now obviously angry and provoked, "Why aren't you doing what it asked you to do?"
My father sarcastically replied, "There is a billboard outside this
hospital, that I can see from my window, that reads, 'Drink Coca
Cola.' Does that mean that I have to do that too?"
The female nurse who was built like a middle linebacker on the first team of the Greenbay Packers angrily barked, "Look -- I'm leaving
now, but I'll be back in five minutes. If you're still smoking when
I return, I'll break both of your legs!"
Fear can sometimes motivate one to do many things -- or not to do many things. For my father, the roar and threat of this "angel of mercy" caused him to stop smoking -- COLD TURKEY. The minute notice on the cigarette pack warning of the hazards and dangers of smoking might have totally escaped his attention, but the grumble, bellow, and intimidation of a powerfully built hospital nurse probably saved him from future misery.
God bless our nurses and their different approaches to medicine.
© copyright 2001 by Michael Segal, all rights reserved.
MSegaHope@aol.com
Michael Segal is a captivating writer and hero in the eyes of our
2theheart family. You can read his incredible story in "Chicken Soup for the Christian Family Soul", and more on his experiences in our archives. www.2theheart.com/archives
See the video of Mike's wonderful television interview on the Debra Duncan show!
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/features/debra_video2.html
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The Letter Box:
(Please send all letters to Editor@2theheart.com or in our Letter Box at www.2theheart.com)
2theheart,
I cried when I read today's story, "Somebody's Son". I believe
somebody's son already has a guardian angel watching over him, by the name of the writer of this story, Pattricia Pummel. Such a loving, caring, compassionate lady. Our world needs more people like Pattricia.
~Pam Learn~
kplearn@netsync.net
Dear Pattricia,
Your story somebody's son really tore at my heart. I have a 23 year old son out there somewhere. He left home at 18 and lived his live making horrible choices, drinking, hanging out at bars and doing who knows what else. He moved to Texas over a year ago and I haven't heard from him since. The last time I talked to him he said "Hey mom, I'm moving to Texas, I'll check in with ya later." No I love you, no I miss you. That was the last time I talked to him and my heart breaks for him every day. I pray that wherever he is, he has someone like you who remembers he is somebody's son and looks out for him. Thank you for being that kind of person.
God bless you,
~Karen Lynd, New Mexico
karen6507
Dear Susan,
I LOVE the changes you've made on 2theheart - you put me in the mood for Valentine's Day and I dragged out all my decorations already! I also love the new country look of the home page - very welcoming!
Love ya,
~Barb
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