I have made significant changes in my life recently. Extracting myself from my hometown in Northern Kentucky to Knoxville, TN being the most representative of change. That change in turn presented me with the opportunity to make another adjustment to my life. Smoking. Nearly thirty years of it. It was not a habit, it was a necessity, as much as food and water. Without it I could not function at a level that I found acceptable. By that I mean, I was a complete ass if I did not get my recommended daily allowance of carcinogens. Quitting was a pipe-dream, completely out of reach. IMG_0090 Or……….. images Somewhere around two weeks into my crash landing in Knoxville, I was invited by the friends who have been kind enough to put up with me to attend a vape meet. A vape meet is a gathering of people who have embraced the vaping lifestyle. Adopting the use of electronic cigarettes or E-Cigs in lieu of tobacco. The meets are both social and functional. Vendors also attend meets to promote their product, educate and make connections with customers and other vendors. This particular meet was sponsored by Smoky Mountain Vapers, Smokey Mountain Vapers is a local group that started in 2011 with just a few members who met to learn more about vaping and meet others who had made the switch. Since then the group has grown to over 250 members and continues to grow and promote the vaping lifestyle. SMV Admittedly, I was surprised at the amount of people in attendance. I was later to find out that over a hundred people had attended the meet throughout the day. To me this was impressive, until that day I knew of only two people who vaped. That changed quickly. Within five minutes of being there I had met at least two dozen people, all of them very friendly and welcoming. It was a very communal atmosphere. I felt at ease and comfortable despite my rookie status. Touring the vendor booths proved to be an education, for I had absolutely no idea what I was looking at. There were also a lot of phrases and terms being thrown around, I understood none of them. Atomizer, cartomizer, E-juice and my personal favorite, TH or Throat Hit. I had yet to try any of the vaping products, in fact I still had a pack of Pall Mall Blue’s in my pocket. It’s not that I was opposed to trying something different, I just wasn’t sure I was ready to abandon my old friends. After all, I had known them longer than anyone there, save one. Turned out that he would be the catalyst for what happened that day. After wandering around for a bit to socialize, check out products and sample free stuff we took to a table. Soon after that a man appeared on the stage. Glenn Cate, the organizer of the event. I should mention that Glenn has a lot of good people who are vital to the vape meets and without them would probably not be possible. Glenn put forth a challenge to any smoker that was there. Join him onstage and stomp the tar out of their cigarettes. Anyone willing to do this would in return receive a vaping starter kit. It was then that my friend Jeff got Glenn’s attention and pointed me out to him, in his normal subtle fashion. I didn’t feel pressured, more like compelled. I was still having doubts about such an abrupt ending to a lifestyle that I was so accustomed to, yet there I was, about to stomp on a nearly full pack of cigarettes. I brought my foot down on the pack and the place erupted. I felt like I had just hit a walk off home run in game seven of the World Series. I felt good and regretful at the same time. I knew it was the right choice but was unsure if I could follow through on it, even after such a dramatic gesture. My uncertainty was soon put to rest by the support and encouragement from the club members. I spent the rest of the afternoon vaping on the mystery juice that came with my starter kit. To this day, it has not been identified. That day was over a month ago and since that day I have been analog free, and I intend to stay that way. Smoking-And-Lung-Cancer- Gnarls