From the Wool-sack

• Publication year: 1997
• Pages: 53

26 Colo.Law. 53 Colorado Lawyer 1997.

1997, November, Pg. 53. From The Wool-Sack

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53

Vol.26, No. 11, Pg. 53

The Colorado Lawyer
November 1997
Vol. 26, No. 11 [Page 53]

Departments
From The Wool-Sack
From The Wool-Sack
by Christopher R Brauchli

I'd walk a mile for a Camel.
A cigarette ad many years ago

If they learned to smoke without decent role models, what will happen when they take over the country? That question was inspired by a sight of an unshapely, ugly camel heading off into the desert pursued by the FTC

It's hard for a member of my generation whose desire to smoke was inspired by countless role models from movie stars to presidents to understand how today's youth could have been lured by an ugly camel with a misshapen nose. It's not as though smoking comes easy. Learning to smoke was hard and most of us would never have tried it with a camel for a come-on

One of the first things we had to learn was how to overcome nausea. Nausea (in addition to cancer) is one of the body's natural reactions to inhaling smoke. Without real live role models, it would have been easy after the first one or two experiences of inhaling followed by the nausea and accompanying retching, to conclude that cigarette smoking should be left to others. We, and others like me, did not give up. We had role models, and they didn't vomit every time they inhaled.

My body was, as most are, compliant. After repeated practice, I learned the art of inhaling without becoming, simultaneously, ill. There was more to smoking, however, than getting the smoke into the body without inducing nausea.

As I learned from my role models, equally important was expelling the smoke. Proper smoke expulsion was almost as important as not vomiting when inhaling. Expulsion was not simply a matter of mind over nausea--it was a matter of sophistication. And none of us was born with that.

Sophistication required hours in front of a mirror contemplating how and when to expel the inhaled smoke. The mouth was one natural outlet, and with practice one could nonchalantly blow circles in contemplative fashion as the smoke left the mouth. With experience, it was possible to keep the smoke in the lungs for what seemed like a long time and then permit it to drift out mingled with words of wisdom.

The nose also could be used. It was fashionable to permit the smoke to escape from the mouth...