No One Likes a Quitter – HOF Speech

The Outlaw Josey Wales – 1976 – What a great movie! Clint Eastwood as Josey Wales rides all over the south and west after the Civil War killing “Red Legs”. The best part is, he spits a big wad of tobacco juice on the heads of his prey. It was this movie that made me want to chew…I was six.

Fast forward five years, summer 1981 – I was 11 – Rob Farley and I rode our bikes down to the Quick Check to buy a wad of Days ‘O Work. I got sick.

Fast forward another six years – 1988 – my senior year in high school, and I was chewing Levi Garrett for breakfast on the way to school. I graduated and went to the US Naval Academy. This is where I first found Kodiak.

Fast forward a few more years to 1992. I failed out of college, and decided to enlist in the Marines. Recruit Training, Paris Island, SC. Those 13 weeks was the first time since I was in high school that I went without a dip. The night before we graduated, I gave one of my Drill Instructors $20 to buy me a can of Kodiak. He kept the change, and I stayed up all night dipping and spitting into a canteen I turned in the next day. (If you got my canteen…sorry).

Life in the Marines – for me it included Copenhagen. My friends and family would ask me, “When are you going to stop putting that shit in your face?” My response was either, “Every man dies, but it takes a Hell of a man to stand up to cancer.” or, “No one likes a quitter”. What kind of sick thinking is that?

Three of my uncles died of cancer. Their brother (my father) died last year of cancer. My grandfathers died of cancer. My great aunt and uncle died of cancer. My sister got cancer (in remission) my mother is dying right now of cancer. I thought I would dodge that bullet. So far, I have.

I left the Marines and started working in a hospital. That’s when I started to gut my dip. That was 12 years ago. I coach gymnastics to kids. I would coach with a dip in.

I’m married, with three beautiful daughters. The oldest is 6, the twins are 4. I want to walk them all down the isle on their wedding days. I want to meet my grandchildren.

I tried to quit a million times in my life. What’s the difference with this quit? Two things: 1. The MINDSET is different. This is my quit. Fuck nicotine. I’m stronger than you, bitch. 2. This website. I found KTC 31 days into my quit. I didn’t know you all were as fucked up as I was. Thank God I found it, and thank God I found my June brothers. I’m 115 days quit right now, and I’m going to keep coming back for more quit.

If you’re a Newbie, or thinking about quitting…you can do this. I’m proof.

I want to thank a few folks here that made a huge difference in my quit, whether or not they even know: CoachDoc, Tabasco – Semper Fi…’nough said; Ready, Greg5280, Thor’s Hammer, Show…you all inspired me in some way in the past 100 days, thank you; finally to the BAMF’s that started this site and maintain it – THANK YOU!

NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member Nolaq