Digital Cowboy

My cigarette rolling skills have improved more quickly than I expected, but I still have a long way to go. After a little experience and some online research, I’ve come to the conclusion that part of the problem is that both the tobacco and the rolling papers I have are far from good. That’s not surprising. Since I had never rolled cigarettes before, I went with the cheapest tobacco and papers they had so that I could evaluate without spending too much money. I don’t regret that decision because there’s a lot of waste involved with the learning curve. Hopefully by the time this tobacco is gone, I’ll have enough confidence in my skills to spring for some better stuff.

I’ve never smoked as much as a typical smoker. I’ve always looked at cigarettes as mini cigars – fine tobacco to be savored; it’s never been a compulsion with me. That’s why I’m so picky about the cigarettes I smoke. I’ll do without before I’ll smoke a Marlboro or worse. One of the dirty little secrets of the cigarette business is that they prefer to sell filtered cigarettes because they can use lower quality tobacco and more additives. I learned that by experience before reading about it. I’ve made the mistake a few times of tearing the filter off a cigarette I bummed from a friend or lover. That’s really not a good idea.

Anyway, it’s quite clear to me that I’ll smoke less if I have to roll my own because it’s such a hassle. Of course, this cheap tobacco doesn’t exactly motivate either. Smoking less is not a bad thing. I’ve never tried to quit because I’ve never wanted to quit. But smoking less also means I’ll enjoy it more when I do… as soon as I get some decent tobacco.