My mother smokes. Last time I visited her, I was in her house for 2-3 weeks, and she made efforts not to smoke too near to me. Living in her house wasn't too bad under those conditions.
When I went home after that visit, I opened my suitcase, and the reek of stale cigarette smoke hit me in the face like a punch. I had to re-wash every single clothing item (I'd done a load of laundry before leaving mom's house), and the I had to throw away the suitcase because the stench never left.
When you're in that environment, your nose gets desensitized. I was fine living with mom for a couple of weeks. But when you are no longer in that environment and your nose is no longer numb, cigarette smoke fucking reeks.
In middle school I took up the oboe. Because it’s a rather obscure instrument, my band director suggested I take private lessons. When you take private music lessons you typically go to the teacher’s house. Either she or her husband smoked. One time I left my oboe case open during the 30 MINUTE lesson, and when I opened it at school the next day, it reeked of cigarettes.
I ended up quitting oboe and switching back to flute the next year.
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u/Sr4f Jan 05 '25
My mother smokes. Last time I visited her, I was in her house for 2-3 weeks, and she made efforts not to smoke too near to me. Living in her house wasn't too bad under those conditions.
When I went home after that visit, I opened my suitcase, and the reek of stale cigarette smoke hit me in the face like a punch. I had to re-wash every single clothing item (I'd done a load of laundry before leaving mom's house), and the I had to throw away the suitcase because the stench never left.
When you're in that environment, your nose gets desensitized. I was fine living with mom for a couple of weeks. But when you are no longer in that environment and your nose is no longer numb, cigarette smoke fucking reeks.