The Why's and Wherefor's

(a Peterson Kapet #69 packed with Treebeard was smoked while writing this post)







Why do I smoke?  That's probably the question I'm asked most.  It's a simple, almost harmless question.  However the simple question masks a lot of assumptions.  It is assumed, for instance, that if I only knew the risks of smoking I would immediately toss my pipes on the garbage heap and run screaming to the nearest health food store. (ain't gonna happen in a million years)

So why do I spend time polishing my briars, picking out the appropriate one for the day, deciding which tobacco to fill it with, etc.?

1. I love the smell.  The various blends and aromatics please my nose.  It's like the person who walks into a kitchen and smells an apple pie baking.  The smell just makes me feel good inside.
2. I love the sight.  Pipes are functional art.  If we are talking utilitarianism, a person really only needs a couple of pipes.  But the reason that I'm nearing a nice dozen or so is because they are works of art.  The wood grains, colors and shapes are simply beautiful.  I also get a special pleasure out of seeing a finely worked stem.
3. I love the camaraderie.  There just are no people like Pipe People.  The are almost always the most generous people I've ever met.  For instance, I ordered a pipe for this Christmas.  It turns out that someone ordered the same pipe just moments before I did.  The pipe store instantly sent me an email asking what I would like to do.  I chose a slightly different pipe and left it at that.  When it arrived (days earlier than expected; at no extra cost), the shipping box contained a bunch of "extras" as gifts.  When was the last time you got customer service like that?
4. It connects me to God.  OK, now I know that there will be people who argue with this.  But for me, to ritually pack and light my pipe and then take the 30 to 45 minutes to smoke it, is the most introspective time I get during the day.  As the smoke rises, I say my prayers and contemplate my Lord and Savior.  When I get up again I find that I'm more aware of God's presence than at other times.  Could I do this by some other means?  Sure.  But it wouldn't be quite as rewarding.
5. It's healthy.  Yep, I said it.  Doctors tell us that one of the leading causes of ill health is stress.  Well, I'm one of the most stress free people I know, in part due the fact that I smoke a pipe.  It is a quieting time in my day and I almost always finish a pipe being more refreshed than when I began.

So there it is.  My top five reasons Why I Smoke.

A New Hobby

I believe the first time I picked up a pipe was sometime in the early 90's.  I was in my 20's at the time and, although I thought it was kind of cool, I really didn't have a feel for it.  It would be almost 14 years before I picked up another one.

However, my facination with pipes and pipe smoking goes back much farther.  Two of my most vivid memories as a child were of pipes.  The first, as is the case with many boys, is that of my Grandfather smoking a pipe in his living room.  I don't remember the type of pipe it was but I distinctly remember the smoke curling up to the celing and the warm, homey smell.  My second memory was of a friend of my father.  I remember his pipe rack.  It was a circular kind with a glass jar filled with tobacco sitting in the middle.  I recall looking at all the various pipes and thinking that they were the most wonderful things I had ever seen.  Each individual briar or meerscham was a work of art.  I thought about how it would be to hold one in my hand but knew that I wasn't invited to do so.

Santa Claus pipe (Velani Bent Contrast)

About three years ago, a fellow priest (Fr. John Manning) found out that I was interested in pipes and gave me my first quality pipe.  It came as part of a Christmas gift for me and my family.  The letter that came with it was written "From Santa" and it described how this was a copy of Santa's favorite pipe.  Since that time my kids have referred to it as "Santa's pipe" and ask me to smoke it frequently.

I'm loving my new hobby and most of the pipes I've collected since then have been gifts from friends.  I like that a lot.  It means that each new Briar Buddy has a story that goes along with it and memories that rise like the smoke from their bowls.

My Briar Buddies