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BL Discussion for May 2014: Explaining your hobby to others

We've all had that awkward moment, with a pipe especially, when someone asks "What are you doing?". I catch grief for the hats I wear, along with the pipe smoking. Not for the health aspect, but more for the "fashion" part of it. Most of who I catch grief from are other dads my age, to which I reply with hand signals. I never get complaints from the womenfolk, they love the smell of my my pipe, and even complain when I don't have it out. What kind of experiences, good or bad, have come from your smoking hobby?
WARNING!!! This is not for bashing anti-smokers, any such posts will be removed. Along with any posts from anti-smokers that feel we need their wisdom.
 
I usually smoke by myself but when I'm around friends, they're more intrigued than they are to give me grief. So in that sense I'm more inclined to enable them than hear about it.
 
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I've been avoiding needing to explain it.

My wife mentioned my pipe smoking at a family gathering and luckily the conversation moved along before that subject got any traction. More recently I was hanging out with my dad drinking, I mentioned something about it (I think about how my wife likes the smell, though I can't think of why I would have gotten on that subject) and he didn't react and again the conversation moved along.

I've mentioned it on facebook as part of posts about the new FDA stuff, but I don't think anybody noticed the posts at all, and if they did then they would probably think the posts were about cigars and not notice mentions of pipe tobacco.
 
I don't really smoke in public places, so the only one who gives me dirty looks is my mother. That said... she got me my calabash for Christmas, so she either gave up or doesn't hate it as much as she lets on. The rest of my family doesn't care and I don't have a SWMBO, so I have free reign. Any potential SWMBO would pretty much know from the get go what they're getting into, so that issue would be taken care of rather quickly (either she likes it, she doesn't bother me about it, or she takes a hike).
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
We've all had that awkward moment, with a pipe especially, when someone asks "What are you doing?". I catch grief for the hats I wear, along with the pipe smoking. Not for the health aspect, but more for the "fashion" part of it. Most of who I catch grief from are other dads my age, to which I reply with hand signals. I never get complaints from the womenfolk, they love the smell of my my pipe, and even complain when I don't have it out. What kind of experiences, good or bad, have come from your smoking hobby?
WARNING!!! This is not for bashing anti-smokers, any such posts will be removed. Along with any posts from anti-smokers that feel we need their wisdom.

Men are just jealous because we are getting attention from the womenfolk :001_smile
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
I don't really smoke in public places, so the only one who gives me dirty looks is my mother. That said... she got me my calabash for Christmas, so she either gave up or doesn't hate it as much as she lets on. The rest of my family doesn't care and I don't have a SWMBO, so I have free reign. Any potential SWMBO would pretty much know from the get go what they're getting into, so that issue would be taken care of rather quickly (either she likes it, she doesn't bother me about it, or she takes a hike).

Should there ever be a SWMBO, make it clear at the onset that this is what you do. Some women think that they will "improve" their man once they are married.
 

Commander Quan

Commander Yellow Pantyhose
People tend to leave me alone when I smoke. I'm not sure if it's my well rehearsed "pipe smoker's scowl, or the fact that I prefer not to wear any pants.
 
Most people I don't tell. I usually only do it in the privacy of my own home or maybe out hiking, so I don't usually hear anything. My close family knows, my mom says "John Boy smoked a pipe. John Boy burnt the house down." My wife tolerates it sometimes. None of my friends smoke a pipe so it's not really something I do socially.
 
Since I was a dedicated cig smoker for a long time (which there is really no hiding from anyone, lets be honest here), my non-smoking friends are generally like "Oh, you switched to a pipe? Good, that doesn't get all stinky and annoying.". My other half, my parents, and one of my brothers are still cig smokers, so they really don't even blink.

The couple times at work so far I've pulled out the pipe or a cigarillo to go have a break with the smokers they give a strange glance. One of them point blank was like "Ok, why?". He was legitimately confused as to why one would smoke something you aren't inhaling. He wasn't understanding flavor, or enjoying, or slowing down to appreciate. It was like trying to get the person swigging MD 20/20 to appreciate 2 fingers of single malt.
 
Most of my pipe smoking is done on my patio, and my only company tends to be a glass of whiskey and maybe a good book. If my ship is underway I'll usually light up a bowl on the smoke deck in the evening if I'm not on watch, and the general reaction is more curiosity than anything else. Most everyone onboard knows me as a fountain pen guy, and the other chiefs are all familiar with my shaving tools, so I think I am regarded as some kind of walking anachronism.

I haven't really caught any grief for it or anything, the most common comment being simply how good the pipe smoke smells (amid the prevalent cloud of cigarette smoke).
 
You mean they can make something "fine" out of that cactus juice? :lol: (j/k)

You jest, but there really is plenty of fine tequila. I fear that a large percentage of it gets poured into shotglasses and pounded with lime and salt by people who expect hangovers. I guess that's really a good thing though, because it means those finer varieties will be on the shelf at the store for me. Those who don't appreciate its finer qualities do still encourage its production and stocking by swilling it.

You know what's really tough though? I can't even begin to imagine finding someone with whom to discuss pairing tequila with pipe tobacco. I tried asking about cigars in a tequila group on a large social media network and didn't get a single response...pipe doesn't stand a chance.
 
You jest, but there really is plenty of fine tequila. I fear that a large percentage of it gets poured into shotglasses and pounded with lime and salt by people who expect hangovers. I guess that's really a good thing though, because it means those finer varieties will be on the shelf at the store for me. Those who don't appreciate its finer qualities do still encourage its production and stocking by swilling it.

You know what's really tough though? I can't even begin to imagine finding someone with whom to discuss pairing tequila with pipe tobacco. I tried asking about cigars in a tequila group on a large social media network and didn't get a single response...pipe doesn't stand a chance.

Start a thread on it here somewhere, and I"ll happily join in. I like the taste of tequila, just haven't had much experience with finer brands.
 
I used to be a little anxious about smoking around people but now I dont care...I smoke about 3-4 bowls per week and rarely around others...my sweet wife is preggo right now so I do not smoke around her since everything makes her nauseous right now...
 

Hirsute

Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose
You jest, but there really is plenty of fine tequila. I fear that a large percentage of it gets poured into shotglasses and pounded with lime and salt by people who expect hangovers. I guess that's really a good thing though, because it means those finer varieties will be on the shelf at the store for me. Those who don't appreciate its finer qualities do still encourage its production and stocking by swilling it.

You know what's really tough though? I can't even begin to imagine finding someone with whom to discuss pairing tequila with pipe tobacco. I tried asking about cigars in a tequila group on a large social media network and didn't get a single response...pipe doesn't stand a chance.

Promptly followed by: oh I've had good tequila before. You know, Cuervo Gold!

Lol.
 
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