Growing Up in the 1970's - Oh What a Life!
When I was growing up in the 1970's, life was free and easy. Families left their doors unlocked, we walked to and from school without fear and we did not worry about life. We had it easy. Our parents protected us from the bad things going on in the world and we only had five television stations. They went fuzzy after about midnight. Can you imagine not having 24 hour news!
We were living a very sheltered life.
Back in the 1970's it was really cool to smoke with our friends by the creek overlooking the highway behind the stores after school. We could not smoke on the school campus because we would get detention. You see we were only in the 7th grade. The problem was that I lived in small town and everyone knew who we were. It was not uncommon for our parents to receive telephone calls about what we were doing. So we all got in trouble for smoking and were grounded for life.
We were living a very sheltered life.
Back in the 1970's it was really cool to smoke with our friends by the creek overlooking the highway behind the stores after school. We could not smoke on the school campus because we would get detention. You see we were only in the 7th grade. The problem was that I lived in small town and everyone knew who we were. It was not uncommon for our parents to receive telephone calls about what we were doing. So we all got in trouble for smoking and were grounded for life.
Children have a propensity to mirror what their parents do. Mine smoked and drank. My mother called it nipping. At least that is what they called it. Parliament cigarettes lived in the cabinet in the Family Room but they always tasted funny. So, Marlboro's became my choice. They were cool. The commercial's on television were awesome. Cowboys on horses. We graduated to the hay loft so that our neighbors would not share with our parents what we were doing. It was not a full blown habit at the time and remember we did it to be cool.
Ultimately our cigarettes were found and again, we got in trouble. Grounded for life again. Please remember we were not full blown smokers. We did it to be cool. It was fun. We mimmicked our parents and the older kids at school. It was something to do in a small town. We would even mirror how our mother's used their hands when holding cigarettes. Looking back it is sad to mirror such a bad habit. Little girls want to be just like their mothers. My only wish is that someone would have shared that with me then. Mirroring bad habits is not cool.
(Special note: some very dear friends of my parents both smoked. They smoked until the after the time they were diagnosed with Emphysema and heart conditions. What smoking did to their lives was horrific. They told me later in life when I saw them it was the one thing in their lives they were not ever able to stop and wish they had. The smoking caused so many health problems for them and it was the cause of their deaths at too young an age)
By this time several of us were children of divorce and it was a way to run away from life. Life does happen and children to do not always know how to express the anger they are feeling. So we change our habits. We smoke and experience alcohol for the first time. We start growing up the hard way. We take that easy comfortable life and begin to make it harder for ourselves. This was a choice we made to run away from what happening in our lives. It was easier to do that then face what was going on in our homes. Looking back, this was not a wise decision. It was one that we definitely learned from.
Ultimately our cigarettes were found and again, we got in trouble. Grounded for life again. Please remember we were not full blown smokers. We did it to be cool. It was fun. We mimmicked our parents and the older kids at school. It was something to do in a small town. We would even mirror how our mother's used their hands when holding cigarettes. Looking back it is sad to mirror such a bad habit. Little girls want to be just like their mothers. My only wish is that someone would have shared that with me then. Mirroring bad habits is not cool.
(Special note: some very dear friends of my parents both smoked. They smoked until the after the time they were diagnosed with Emphysema and heart conditions. What smoking did to their lives was horrific. They told me later in life when I saw them it was the one thing in their lives they were not ever able to stop and wish they had. The smoking caused so many health problems for them and it was the cause of their deaths at too young an age)
By this time several of us were children of divorce and it was a way to run away from life. Life does happen and children to do not always know how to express the anger they are feeling. So we change our habits. We smoke and experience alcohol for the first time. We start growing up the hard way. We take that easy comfortable life and begin to make it harder for ourselves. This was a choice we made to run away from what happening in our lives. It was easier to do that then face what was going on in our homes. Looking back, this was not a wise decision. It was one that we definitely learned from.
Let's fast forward a few years. Now I am in high school and my parents have since divorced. I was the youngest of the children in my family and I was told if I wanted anything extra I needed to get a job, so I did. I was working after school and on weekends and my smoking had gone from being cool to being a stress release. Life happens and the cigarettes did not go way. I kept on smoking and they were a part of a my of life. They did not define me as a person, but they were always with me. I was always extremely athletic and they did not stop me from my sports. I also did not smoke more than one pack of cigarettes a day.
We are going to fast forward again. Working in an office all day long was interesting because we could smoke at our desks. I probably let more burn out then I actually smoked. My health was beginning to deteriorate and I was not feeling well. I was only
in my 30's. I went to the doctor one day and he said, "You are getting arthritis in your chest cavity, if you do not quit smoking, you will not survive this." Those words sank into me like bricks. This could not be happening to me. I had to make a decision, my health or my cigarettes. This was a choice at all. I knew I wanted to live a healthy life. I wanted to be with my husband for the rest of my life as a healthy woman. I went home that evening and threw my cigarettes in the trash can with a full carton. My husband laughed at me and said, you did not just quit smoking. I said, I sure did! Three weeks later he said, "you really did quit smoking." Now, keep in mind licorice sticks, toothpicks and lifesavers were my best friends for a very long time after that. It has been 18 years and I have not had a cigarette since. Do I still like the smell of a cigarette every once in a while after a really good dinner? Once in a while. Do I ever have the urge to have a cigarette after all these years. No, because I know if I have just one cigarette I will not ever quit again. Sad but true.
My husband still smokes to this day and struggles not being able to quit. He cannot use the patch or any medications because it causes such severe side effects. I have learned that nagging him to quit is not the answer. He needs to do this on his own. His own health issues will ultimately dictate when it is time to quit. Some day he will be able to quit and I will be right there encouraging him. I will and am his biggest fan.
Our home and our cars smoke free. That is the way it has to be. My husband still is very supportive of the fact that I do not smoke and is still amazed that I do not.
Smoking affects everything you do. There really are other ways to deal with stress. Go for a walk. Have a glass of water and breathe. Reflect on what the situation that just happened and process it. Don't react, act. Be your own person.
in my 30's. I went to the doctor one day and he said, "You are getting arthritis in your chest cavity, if you do not quit smoking, you will not survive this." Those words sank into me like bricks. This could not be happening to me. I had to make a decision, my health or my cigarettes. This was a choice at all. I knew I wanted to live a healthy life. I wanted to be with my husband for the rest of my life as a healthy woman. I went home that evening and threw my cigarettes in the trash can with a full carton. My husband laughed at me and said, you did not just quit smoking. I said, I sure did! Three weeks later he said, "you really did quit smoking." Now, keep in mind licorice sticks, toothpicks and lifesavers were my best friends for a very long time after that. It has been 18 years and I have not had a cigarette since. Do I still like the smell of a cigarette every once in a while after a really good dinner? Once in a while. Do I ever have the urge to have a cigarette after all these years. No, because I know if I have just one cigarette I will not ever quit again. Sad but true.
My husband still smokes to this day and struggles not being able to quit. He cannot use the patch or any medications because it causes such severe side effects. I have learned that nagging him to quit is not the answer. He needs to do this on his own. His own health issues will ultimately dictate when it is time to quit. Some day he will be able to quit and I will be right there encouraging him. I will and am his biggest fan.
Our home and our cars smoke free. That is the way it has to be. My husband still is very supportive of the fact that I do not smoke and is still amazed that I do not.
Smoking affects everything you do. There really are other ways to deal with stress. Go for a walk. Have a glass of water and breathe. Reflect on what the situation that just happened and process it. Don't react, act. Be your own person.
If you don't smoke, don't start. It is a habit that will kill you. Those around you also suffer the effects of your smoking. The odors permeate onto them. They can suffer severe health issues such as second hand smoke cancer, asthma, heart conditions and respiratory infections. Be considerate of others.
My name for this is Jane Doe and I am a real person who grew up and lived this life back in New York State in the 1970's. I have no regrets of my childhood because I have learned many things about myself from my youth. My youth has helped make me the person I am today. Strong, vibrant and confident! You can be too!
My Mom: The Amazing Survivor
My mom who has not ever smoked a day in her life, nor has ever been around second hand smoke, has been a lung cancer survivor for over 28 years. With only a half a lung, she still has annual check ups to make sure she is cancer free. My mom was not a drinker or a smoker.
I first met my mom in 1973 after she and my Dad got married. She was an attorney and he was the executive. The perfect couple. We went from three to four kids and we were not easy by any means. Life was moving along. My dad smoked cigarettes and a pipe. He had for years. That is the way it was back then. He was not allowed to smoke near my mom. When he married my mom, he gave up the cigarettes and only smoked a pipe. He loved her so much, he was willing to do that for her. He did not smoke around her ever that I knew of. She was the ultimate anti-smoker. Her parents did not smoke, her father was a dentist and her mother a homemaker. Life was simple back then.
Mom was a healthy eater, cooked well for her family and was particular about all foods and cleaners that were used in the home. I did not live with my parents and only visited periodically. While I was with them, I saw first hand how life was and as an adult today appreciate her values for the family and home. Life changed at the end of 1984 for our entire family when mom got sick.
There was a spot on mom's lung and it turned out to be a tumor, lung cancer they said. My dad took mom to the very best doctors in New York and treatments started. Surgery was determined to be a course of action. The doctors removed the tumor and Chemotherapy and radiation treatments started. The most amazing events happened in my parent's lives. Yes, my parents. You see, they are a team and what happens to one, happens to them both. They found a doctor and hospital in Pennsylvania that treated this particular type of cancer and they saved my mom's life. It was not long after that another tumor appeared and they performed a second surgery to removed the other tumor.
Through surgery (they removed one lung and half of the second lung), treatments (I call them chemo cocktails) two times a year for one week sessions for over 15 years, my mom is cancer free. She only has a half lung. She still climbs the steps in their two story colonial every day. The chemotherapy and radiation treatments have caused her to have severe hearing loss in both ears. She is in on a large regiment of medication for survival including oxygen 24/7. I went with her not long ago for a visit to her doctor and he was so pleased at how well she was doing. She still gets checked every year. All clear! She still plays bridge and goes to the theatre. She chose life and am so glad she did. You see, you don't have to smoke to have cancer. I am thankful my mom is still here today enjoying life as she does. Just remember that life is a gift. She is my mom
The strongest woman I know!
My mom reminded me recently that she contributed a substantial amount to my education with encouragement. (she has) She told me that I could not have accomplished as a teenager out of high school what I have as an adult in school. Sometimes it is alright to pursue your career first as long as you have your goals and dreams set before you. She knew I had that and she walked with me the entire time. Unconditional love from parents goes a long way. Thank you mom!
My mom who has not ever smoked a day in her life, nor has ever been around second hand smoke, has been a lung cancer survivor for over 28 years. With only a half a lung, she still has annual check ups to make sure she is cancer free. My mom was not a drinker or a smoker.
I first met my mom in 1973 after she and my Dad got married. She was an attorney and he was the executive. The perfect couple. We went from three to four kids and we were not easy by any means. Life was moving along. My dad smoked cigarettes and a pipe. He had for years. That is the way it was back then. He was not allowed to smoke near my mom. When he married my mom, he gave up the cigarettes and only smoked a pipe. He loved her so much, he was willing to do that for her. He did not smoke around her ever that I knew of. She was the ultimate anti-smoker. Her parents did not smoke, her father was a dentist and her mother a homemaker. Life was simple back then.
Mom was a healthy eater, cooked well for her family and was particular about all foods and cleaners that were used in the home. I did not live with my parents and only visited periodically. While I was with them, I saw first hand how life was and as an adult today appreciate her values for the family and home. Life changed at the end of 1984 for our entire family when mom got sick.
There was a spot on mom's lung and it turned out to be a tumor, lung cancer they said. My dad took mom to the very best doctors in New York and treatments started. Surgery was determined to be a course of action. The doctors removed the tumor and Chemotherapy and radiation treatments started. The most amazing events happened in my parent's lives. Yes, my parents. You see, they are a team and what happens to one, happens to them both. They found a doctor and hospital in Pennsylvania that treated this particular type of cancer and they saved my mom's life. It was not long after that another tumor appeared and they performed a second surgery to removed the other tumor.
Through surgery (they removed one lung and half of the second lung), treatments (I call them chemo cocktails) two times a year for one week sessions for over 15 years, my mom is cancer free. She only has a half lung. She still climbs the steps in their two story colonial every day. The chemotherapy and radiation treatments have caused her to have severe hearing loss in both ears. She is in on a large regiment of medication for survival including oxygen 24/7. I went with her not long ago for a visit to her doctor and he was so pleased at how well she was doing. She still gets checked every year. All clear! She still plays bridge and goes to the theatre. She chose life and am so glad she did. You see, you don't have to smoke to have cancer. I am thankful my mom is still here today enjoying life as she does. Just remember that life is a gift. She is my mom
The strongest woman I know!
My mom reminded me recently that she contributed a substantial amount to my education with encouragement. (she has) She told me that I could not have accomplished as a teenager out of high school what I have as an adult in school. Sometimes it is alright to pursue your career first as long as you have your goals and dreams set before you. She knew I had that and she walked with me the entire time. Unconditional love from parents goes a long way. Thank you mom!
