AnnaBanana's 2 Year Milestone Speech

"I learned to hate (smoking) , and that was my way to stay quit..."

I conveniently forgot to write a One Year Speech, but feel this time, as 2 years is such a VICTORY for me, that I should say a few words about the incredible journey I’ve just made.

Picture this...

It’s like Oscar night, my name is called and I start the precarious "down those stairs" trek in my shimmering crimson, off the shoulder, cut to the thigh, poured on dress, and my 6" stiletto heeled sandals, to receive my trophy from our Guide and mentor Terry ( she’s wearing gold lame' plunging neckline, hair piled up high, golden strappy slippers, looking FABULOUS!).

As I make my way gingerly down, I look back to the days when I first arrived here, totally by accident, whilst looking for a site on Urban Legends. I had been smoke free for about 6 weeks when I found this haven, and I was smitten from the beginning, lurking and reading posts from people with names like Tammy, Lesly, Gaylene, Donna ,Linda, Terry, Dee, Michelle, Georgia, Lady Zolt, Perk, Christine( RIP), and many other equally inspiring people, enjoying the friendly atmosphere and banter, but with no notion of ever posting.

I never formally introduced myself, I just jumped in with both feet one day to respond to a young woman who was afraid of dying. That was the beginning of my posting spree here! Almost 9,000 posts later, I’m still here, reading and posting and loving every moment of it!

On my way down the flight of stairs, I pause to remember learning so much about the addiction I was a slave to for almost 40 years. I learned to hate it, and that was my way to stay quit, after a series of unsuccessful tries in the years previously. I hated the taste, smell; all the paraphernalia attached to smoking, all the ritual I had gone through 20 or more times a day for most of my life. I hated the fact that I had been too weak to do this sooner. Within 3 months of reading and posting at the forum, I KNEW I would never smoke again. I was asked by Donna if I would like to join she and Pam in the Charlie’s Angels. I agreed, and Donna and I became firm quit buddies. We shared a lot over the months ahead. I'd like to congratulate her too on our joint victory...we DID it!

If I could have bottled the fervour I felt, the determination I had, and the love of this smober life, I could have made myself a fortune. I believe that these things are within us all, and just need to be brought to the surface and used in the struggle with the Demon.

I got to know my fellow posters. I class them as friends now. We have shared so much laughter, sadness and the sheer joy of living this way, and I love and admire them all. There has been a bit of name calling though, harsh words like Mallet Maven, Hammer Harridan, Gavel Guru, Cudgel Cutie, and Shillelagh Shiela have been thrown at me along the way :( and I LOVE IT!

I love the "newbies" coming here, feeling unsure, needing to believe that the discomfort of the first few weeks will end, hanging on and overcoming the craves, learning to adjust their whole life to suit their cessation, willing to trust us when we tell them some snippet which might help them. I love to see and hear in their posts that it IS becoming easier; that it DOES get so much better, and finally to hear the JOY in their posts when they realise that they have DONE IT! They are FREE! Too many of them have a piece of my heart to mention here, but you know exactly who you are. :) I was cyberly engaged to one darling man, Dave Startle...never quite made it to the altar though, our spouses wouldn't hear tell of it...happy days those were.

Just a few more steps to manipulate before I reach a beaming Terry, arms wide in greeting, and I thank God I found this place when I did, my last quit lasted 6 months, and always in the back of my mind, I KNEW I would probably smoke again. THIS time however, has been so different. My husband has been alongside me all the way this time too. It was hard to be in the same room at the beginning, but I spent my time in the forum, gleaning pearls of wisdom to help us both. Now we can hardly remember what it was like to be living in a cloud of stinking smoke every day with smelly hands, hair, clothes, furniture...smelly EVERYTHING. Only one of our grandchildren remembers that we ever smoked! Now my daughter-in-law Paula has quit too, my daughter keeps threatening to, and one day I hope she will, for her own sake and the sake of her two sons.

As I embrace our amazing guide Terry, I silently thank her predecessor Christine, for starting this whole thing off, for sharing her dream and her love with me, and everyone who entered this forum. She always signed off with a HUGGZZZZ, and "I love you all", which was beautiful!

I’ve made it to 2 years - what an AMAZING bunch we Mighty Marchers are, Donna, Lesly, Theresa. I’m so proud of us; I’m so proud of everyone who is on this incredible life-altering road. As I accept my prize, I turn to my audience, and can only think of one thing to say.

"Thank you all for being here, you saved my life!"Anna's Quit Story