"Smoking in the Boys Room"

I thought this little anecdote would be a good way to introduce all potential followers of this blog to who I am and what my situation in life is. I hope that it gives you a little chuckle.


The college I attend, Washington University in Saint Louis, recently put a ban on smoking anywhere on school property, from the dorm area to the main campus. Boy, am I glad I am living off-campus this year!

We had three days of absurdly warm weather a few days ago (100+ degrees), a stint that has recently broken and led to a 70 degree weather as of late -- do I hear choirs of angels? In order to celebrate, I brought my corn-cob pipe and a pouch of 'baccy with me to class.

After I got out of my last class of the day, when sunlight was just beginning to fade from the late Summer sky, I hopped up into a tree and perched in a very comfortable spot between two branches. I carefully packed my pipe -- not wanting to drop any tobacco or to fall out of the tree -- and started to light it.

It was a very pleasant experience (Robert McConnell's Oriental), until, of course, I look down from my reverie and see a campus security officer approaching the source of my smoke-signals. What to do?

...

To Hell with it.

I looked at the man proudly and put the pipe back in my mouth and awaited my fate.

Once he got close enough to see me clearly, he stopped and asked, "You're smoking a pipe?"

I answered with a puff of smoke and a smile.

He paused momentarily with a perplexed looked in his eye. Eventually he shrugged, said, "Smells good," and left.

I was allowed to break brand-new school policy because it was a  pipe and not a cigarette. Win.