Buddy Gimme an OG

 Buddy Gimme an OG





     Not that it is anything to be proud of but we were all cigarette and  pot smokers for decades.      Somehow, Greg and I were able to throw off the chains of big tobacco around 1990 for good. It was not easy and I had tried a couple of times before in 1982 and after the library fire in April of 1986. My addiction covered over twenty-five years. Greg with the help of his bride reduced that figure by at least a half-decade.  I must admit we both really enjoyed this bad habit and explored the many creations of the ad-men who perpetuated the false narrative that smoking was somehow beneficial to those who were wrecking their lungs and other organs in the human body. Sav-On Drugs on  Tweedy was a perfect example of the siren song cigarettes sang to those addicted. As you walked in the store, on your right was a kid's dream: a candy counter where all the favorites like hershey bars, snickers, three muskateers, M&M's, and butterfingers called out. At three candy bars for a dime that sacred area was valhalla for young Gaters and their dentists. Continuing into the Sav-On strore on the left was an array of packs and cartons of America's celebrated cancer causers arranged alluringly. Especially, we young smokers of 17 years plus this smoke show allowed us to explore and find the blend we liked the most. We tried many of the oddball brands like Mapleton, Half and Half, King Sano, Philip Morris and even Turkish ovals. Most kids settled on one of the most advertised brands like Marlboro or in my case the sponsor of the Dodgers Tareyton. We youngsters did not follow in the damaging lungprints of our elders who were puffing Camels, Lucky Strikes, Pall Malls or Chesterfields but we felt it was healthier to smoke with a life-saving filter tip. In my life I was a devoted Tareyton smoker into my twenties, chipping a bit on Chesterfields in a macho attempt to be adult, then after visiting Britain and loving their butts I swtched to the Canadian smoke Rothman's. Greg also visited the cigs counter at Sav-On where these killers were about a quarter a pack before he settled on his Winstons. Winstons were so popular they had a theme song and Fred and Barney of the Flinstones smoked them. We both decided on the brands of the very worst of American coffin nails in a group with Kent, L&M, Viceroy and probably Salem or Newport menthols. For some reason Ed Carroll smoked Raleigh who gave coupons along with cancer, Zeke was a Winstons guy, Johnny straight Marlboro and my own Mom smoked Parliments until she went cold turkey in 1960 something. One of the oft-heard cries in the great roomate experiment on Saturn street with Greg and the Bobcat was "Buddy! Gimme an OG!" Bob brought along with his tenancy at Saturn his brand of smokes Old Gold that after a few mooches Greg discovered were as close to a Winston or Winnie as he could find. So, when the fellas settled in for some tubing and smoking they might light up an Old Gold or OG.






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