Cigar Ash Paranoia
How many times has this happened to you? You notice your cigar has a nice length of ash extending from it. You think about tapping it off, but first you gently nudge it against the side of the ashtray. Resistance. Good! You proceed to take your next puff, then...PLUNK!...the ash is lying in your lap trailed by a powdery wake of black, white and gray.
I liken this phenomenon to riding a bike. Ride it often enough and at some point you're going to fall off. Same thing with cigars. Smoke enough of them, and you're inevitably going to get "ashed."
This got me wondering whether cigar smokers who like to let the ash go as long as possible are the "risk takers," while those who who've been ashed one too many times are the "protectors," ashing their cigars more frequently for fear of soiling themselves. Perhaps the latter group has developed "cigar ash paranoia," thus, becoming "ashophobics."
I believe the relaxation that comes from smoking a good cigar should be held accountable. You get so caught up in the routine of reaching for the cigar and bringing it toward you (perhaps you're in mid-conversation at the time), that you just don't realize how long the ash has become and...PLUNK!
In any event, although it's messy and somewhat humiliating, ashing yourself is no biggie. I've seen it happen to the best. So, take some advice from an old song: just pick yourself up; dust yourself off, and start all over again.
If you can relate, please leave a comment.
~ Gary Korb
I liken this phenomenon to riding a bike. Ride it often enough and at some point you're going to fall off. Same thing with cigars. Smoke enough of them, and you're inevitably going to get "ashed."
This got me wondering whether cigar smokers who like to let the ash go as long as possible are the "risk takers," while those who who've been ashed one too many times are the "protectors," ashing their cigars more frequently for fear of soiling themselves. Perhaps the latter group has developed "cigar ash paranoia," thus, becoming "ashophobics."
I believe the relaxation that comes from smoking a good cigar should be held accountable. You get so caught up in the routine of reaching for the cigar and bringing it toward you (perhaps you're in mid-conversation at the time), that you just don't realize how long the ash has become and...PLUNK!
In any event, although it's messy and somewhat humiliating, ashing yourself is no biggie. I've seen it happen to the best. So, take some advice from an old song: just pick yourself up; dust yourself off, and start all over again.
If you can relate, please leave a comment.
~ Gary Korb
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