Addiction

I confess I think I'm an addict.

I spent 10-12 years of my life as a smoker. This may surprise some readers but it is true. I had been smoking off and on since I was about 16 or so. This doesn't of course count when I tried smoking the first time when I was 9 or again when I was 11 or even when I found out I could buy cigarettes from a vending machine at a hotel on the way home from school at 14. No those were mere experiments. I officially started smoking pretty much the same day the football season ended for me my junior year. I had decided not to play football the next year and if I did I could stop, right?

We'll I smoked and hid it from many people for many years. I did this through high school when I went to college decided I would embrace being a smoker and do it whenever and almost where ever I could. Almost every year I toyed with the idea of quitting but always had an excuse not to; papers to write, a show to do, a long drive ahead of me, etc. It only got worse after school, one of the easiest ways to take a break from work was to say, "I'm going for a smoke," and it was easily excepted. I went to graduate school and managed to quit for about a semester. Started again and quit the next semester then started again in the summer. I finally decided when I graduated that I was really going to bear down and do it.

I am happy to say that I've been pretty much smoke free since I graduated. Although once in a while if I go out for a drink I will smoke and I usually only smoke a cigarette like a cigar and I, of course, regret it the next day. Eventually that will change too.

So that's that, I am a non smoker.

I use to also bite my nails, I gave that up too. Although, it usually relapses when I watch an intense movie...but that's not too bad of a habit or addiction.

To get to my point.

I have become an addict of yet another vice.

Podcasts.

I can't help it. Right now I have 26-27 subscriptions to podcasts. They are free thank god. Ever since I decided to go without cable for financial reasons, I have loaded up on the podcasts. Is this a problem...I even tried a learn Spanish podcast...I don't know if I'll keep that one.

I think there is something to be said about someone with an addictive personality. This takes the cake, but at least most of the programs I listen to are educational. I even listen to a sermon podcast of Mars Hill Bible Church.

Ya know, it really passes the time.

So like I said I admit it, I'm an addict. I'm just waiting for Podcast anonymous before I fully embrace this addiction.