Do you have any tobacco?

Chronology of a life in cigarettes.

1. Year(s): 1999-2000
Age(s): 16-18
Cigarettes: Lucky Strikes, Gauloises Blondes

Notes: This was probably the best smoking time of my life since it was when I fell in love with cigarettes. I would smoke Luckys without filters, and enjoy the little flecks of tobacco on my tongue. It felt romantic and gritty at the same time. We sat in the smoking sections of chain diners and smoked all day, people coming and going. We called Perkins HQ.

Of course at some point after Mareike, our German exchange student friend, came to town for a year we smoked Gauloises. Because we were tre internationale by that point. Thankyouverymuch.

Overwhelming label of self identification: Hip/moody

2. Year(s): end of 2000 and early 2001
Age(s): 18
Cigarettes: Marlboro Light 100s

Notes: I moved to PA, outside of Philly, to go to college for a semester. Everybody but everybody smoked out there. All but one of my group of friends did. And so, naturally, I started to smoke what they did. Marb lights. Wowser. I still listened to Radiohead and Weezer, but I also started listening to an awful lot of DMX. And loving it.

Overwhelming label of self identification: Ghetto. 4eva.

3. Year(s): 2002-2006
Age(s): 20-24
Cigarettes: American Spirit regulars

Notes: Felt very much like myself in these years. Didn't love cigarettes so much as not know how to function without them. I take that back, I still loved them. These were the years of the cigarette break. Best conversations with coworkers take place over cigarettes, that's for sure. During this time you could smoke in bars, and I worked at an amazing bar where the staff could smoke behind the bar if they were so inclined. I could pour beer, talk, and smoke all at the same time and with no hands. Fond fond memories. These years define how I still see myself today. Although I'm way off on how I see myself, but, ah, em.... who are you to judge me!?

Overwhelming label of self identification: Hippy/Madisonite

4. Year(s): 2006-2008
Age(s): 24-26
Cigarettes: Quite smoking. Sad face.

Notes: I don't even remember this part of my life, but I know from reading things about it that I went to and graduated from law school, and met my husband. Good talk.

Overwhelming label of self identification: As I said, I don't really remember these years. So I'll go with gentleman and scholar.

5. Year(s): 2008-2010
Age(s): 26-28
Cigarettes: Whatever people bum me. And Camel Lights.

Notes: I'm an attorney and a wife and a friend. And I live in Pewaukee WI. And while some of my life makes me die a small and separate death every day, other parts are exactly how I would want them. Hard to characterize these moments because I'm in them still and very much invested. I hate to admit it, but the only cigarette I can really handle these days is a damn Camel Light.

Overwhelming label of self identification: Townie. It is what it is.