Why do I smoke a pipe?

If you are wondering who that old codger in the picture is, it isn’t me. I’ll tell you who it is at the end of this post. He is famous and dearly loved his pipes.

I have not smoked a pipe of tobacco for over four decades, despite how much I loved them when I was younger. My wife and kids disapproved and well, I am a pretty conventional guy.. But about a year ago, I was scrounging around in the shed outside,, and I found my dad’s old pipes . I thought about all the good times I had with my Dad. He has been gone for almost a quarter of a century, and I miss him. So I said, what the heck? I picked up some cheap pipe tobacco and gave it a try.

I found that I really enjoyed smoking those pipes, and the memories it brought back. At just shy of 9 months before my retirement age, I have picked up the pipe hobby again. I love the room notes of fine tobaccos, and my wife just ain’t here to guilt trip me about it anymore. Heck, I even smoke my pipes in my home office, something that would have meant all-out war if my wife were still here.

I look forward to a cup of good coffee and a pipe, especially at the end of the day, with great anticipation. It’s a relaxing pleasure for me. Sometimes, I even sneak in a bowl while I am typing away at this computer doing my day job.

Is smoking healthy? No, it is not, but does that mean you should not smoke a pipe? Is it better than smoking cigarettes? Does it annoy some people? (You bet!) Except for the last one, those questions have much tougher and far more complex answers.

The answers are debatable. One doesn’t inhale pipe smoke so there is that to the positive. Smoking a pipe slowly is part of the enjoyment and really requires you to let go of the day’s troubles. It’s good for the mental health of people like me.

I strongly believe in property rights; the first thing anyone owns is their own body. I am utterly convinced that a bowl of good tobacco relaxes me and improves my mental and physical health. Your mileage will vary, and you have to make that choice for yourself. If you are here, I suspect you are at least interested in pipes, cigars, or tobacco in general. I absolutely love my pipes.

The pipe-smoking community is a great group of people to be a part of, too. You can find the most interesting people to talk with both in the area you live in, and online. Once another pipe smoker is sure you won’t be scolding them, you might just find yourself making some new friends. For a very long time, pipe smoking was considered urbane and relaxing - and socially acceptable. I find it so.

That doesn’t mean you should not respect other people’s right to live in a smoke-free environment because that is their choice. Just be sure of your own reasons for or against it. Then, give us poor pipe smokers the benefit of the doubt.

Another hobby that I enjoy is listening to great music, classical, pop, country, and folk music in particular. Would you believe that can be offensive to some folks as well? I think I will load up a bowl of G. L. Pease’s Quiet Nights and think about that…

In the meantime, the photograph attached to this blog entry is of Carl Jung, one of the fathers of modern psychology. Here’s an article you can read about what he thought about smoking his pipe.