Hidden Dangers...

Memory, being selective as it is, can present itself as a detriment as well as a benefit...The mere act of crossing a parking lot, and encountering the lingering presence of the aroma of a good cigar can release a flood of memories all fighting to make their way to the front of conscious thought...

The devil on the left shoulder tells us it's OK to recall the pleasurable moments spent relaxing in a cloud of exhaled, carefully aged Caribbean leaf combined with God's gift of oxygen released by the scientific combination of sulphur and phosphorous...

The angel on the right shoulder gently whispers of the inherent dangers to one's self and others when the fumes are drawn into the temple our souls call our bodies, where for every taken moment of relaxation, a hundred moments are removed from the already quickening approach of the inevitable end...

DOTL screams at you to ignore that wuss on the other shoulder, while AOTR reminds you of the deal you forged with your Lord those many decades ago...Cold shock slaps you in the face with the memory of that dreadful morning while driving to work, and enjoying your first A&C Grenadier of the day...

Sweat breaks through the coldness as you recall the gripping pain that suddenly clutched at your chest, and your first thought was the too recent death of your own brother from his first heart attack...Panic ensues at the flood of recalled scenes of the two of you enjoying camaraderie with each other and your cigars around a comforting campfire...

You remember your first reaction as you reached out to your Saviour to put off the inevitable reunion with the members of your family who have gone ahead of you...You are shocked at the recollection of your desperate bargain when you offered to give up your beloved cigars if your benevolent Lord would take away the pain, and allow your mortality a temporary reprieve...

As the remembrance of the cessation of pain becomes clear, you remind yourself that the deal has two facets, and can be withdrawn at any time if you renege on your end of the bargain...Being not quite ready to face the ultimate judgment, you deny that urge to go shopping at the conveniently located tobacco shop where you fear DOTL may be able to shout down AOTR...

Resistance is NOT futile!...Show your inner strength!!...Defy the odds!...

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