Chapter 2:

This day, last year, I made a decision. It was a very difficult decision and one that I didn't take lightly. I chose to quit smoking. After 4 years of purchase, pack, pull, put match to, pollute, and put out, I decided it was time to quit. The first question people usually ask after "why?" is "how?", so I will answer both with this short story.

I had gotten into...a discussion...with Kimberly about my bad habit and she further expressed her concerns for my health and well-being. Not but two sentences into a lecture I'd heard plenty of times and one I'm sure she'd given several times, she cut herself off. After a brief moment, she looked right at my eyes with a grief-stricken look and sighed as she said, "do what you want, but I've been through this before. For 8 years I dealt with the promise of quitting and then was lied to. You won't hear anymore about this from me, but do what you want..." The look on her face was enough to make the entire world cry. I never wanted to see that look on her face again, so I planned to quit the next day. That night was December 4th, 2008, I updated my Quitter app on my iPhone to the next day and discarded my remaining cigarettes.

It was the first major renovation to my life, now lived with Kimberly. One of many as the next major big thing is coming down the pike just this coming Monday. For those of you [three who read this] who may not know, I've decided to go back to school. Not Orange Coast College, which I've been in a class for the last sixteen weeks with, but to a real progressing school that will land me degree-holding in just 3 to 4 years. I get to take all of my classes online and all of my courses are 5 weeks long. There is no "summer break" or "winter break" in the middle and all the materials are digital. This school is way up my alley, don't you think? I'm heading after a degree in Information Technology & Networking which is fairly applicable to almost everything in the future of everything. I think it'll be the hardest, yet most fulfilling road that Kimberly and I will travel and I'm already thankful for her continued support as I attempt the next difficult chapter in my life.

Chapter 3 is coming soon...it may just start in the midst of chapter 2. ;)

[kyle]