Friday, February 12, 2010

Cloves & Insecurity

Now I only use cloves to flavor my french pressed coffee. In college I used to smoke clove cigarettes, before moving on to Parliaments, before my tiny bank account prompted a choice between caffeine addiction and the classic cool prop. One drug over another, I suppose.

A friend introduced me to Djarum, as well as other substances and experiences that year, and I liked the cigarettes immediately. The spicy aroma, the tang on my lips, the pretense of busyness. Cloves released me from my common female insecurity. Walking alone on the city streets, I could hide behind the smoke. Waiting for my boyfriend to get out of class, I could fake confidence among the strange and better dressed girls at his school. If I wanted an excuse to leave my dorm, I could go smoke on the fire escape and brood. There was never an empty moment with a pack of Specials in my purse.

I'm glad I don't need that crutch anymore. I just found out about the ban on cloves and flavored smokes last year.

And this just as various states are reconsidering the legality of marijuana.

1 comment:

  1. Just a quick comment on flavored smokes - I do enjoy an occasional good cigar when I sit out by the ocean with a glass of wine. I find myself enjoying that pleasure more often these days, especially since my wife won't let me within a mile of the house with a lit Cuban leaf. But I have a friend who smokes flavored cigars daily. It's like a brand new black tuxedo with white socks and sneakers.

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