Smoking for a Reason

At the beginning of the year, I quit smoking.  That lasted about a month and a half before I had another one.  Since then, I went a few weeks, then had one, a couple more weeks, then a pack, and such.  My last pack, bought when I thought I was going to be drinking a lot (as if that makes it any better), was finished two weeks ago at Village Lantern.  After the show, I went outside and lit the last cigarette.  When I did that, one of the comics saw me and asked me for one.  I did not have any more so I couldn’t give her one.

Last night, I realized maybe smoking could help me.  I want to meet other comics.  No, I think I need to meet other comics, for networking purposes.  But I don’t know how to approach any of them.  My first plan to start socializing more is to thank the host after the show.  My hope is that this shows I am a good guy and also not completely a wallflower.  My second plan now is to have a cigarette after the show.  Why?  Well, after the show, comics talk to one another.  Since I can’t just sit there doing nothing with no one else to talk to, I leave.  Well, maybe smoking can be the excuse for sticking around.  After the show, I will, or pretend to, write in my notepad, maybe organize some jokes and such.  Then I will slowly mosey on outside and have a cigarette, hoping maybe being there would give me more opportunities to talk to other comics.

Being around is how I got to talk to the guys last night.  As usual, I left after the show.  But then, I walked around a little bit and thought of this plan.  I bought a pack and walked back towards the open mic, and that’s when I got to start talking to them.

When my wife started her job, she said smoking breaks were when all (or most) of the nurses did their socializing.  I guess I will have to use that excuse also.  But I’m going to minimize my smoking outside the comedy scene, maybe one or two per day at most.  Let’s see how this plan goes.

Tags: Comedy, Meeting Other Comics, Open Mic, Smoking