As a 19yo Marine stationed in southern CA I met a young woman, Beth, who I was VERY interested in getting to know better. On our first date we were walking along the Huntington Beach pier when I reached into my pocket, removed a cigarette and put it into my mouth. Just as I was starting to light it, she moved away from me a bit and made a face that told me she didn’t like it. So, I put the cigarette back into the pack and threw the whole thing into the next garbage can we came upon. This occurred in 1979, and with one exception on a night months later that I drank too much, I never smoked again. Beth and I have been close friends ever since and I am eternally grateful for her influence on my decision to reconsider my use of those “cancer sticks”!
