40th Anniversary of cigar smoking,

[laficion]

Today, looking through some old papers, I found some notes on cigars that I use to enjoy in the 70's and quickly came to realize that I started to smoke cigars exactly 40 years ago last month. So I thought I would share this with all of you at FOH.

OMG!!!!!!, I sat down in my cigar room and started to think back to those first days that I experienced as a cigar smoker.

My very first box of Havanas was a box of Partagas Belvederes that I bought in a large department store

in Europe. ( at the time, a lot of big stores had a tobacco shop inside the store) and as I was looking at the display counter, I saw quite a few different brands of cigars that came from around the world.

What really caught my eyes was the difference in prices between brands from major tobacco countries and the cigars from Cuba, the prices were twice as much as the others but also they were not with the other brands, they were in a different window. My first thoughts were, what makes these cigars different from the other cigars ? plus, much more expensive.

A few days later, I was still so intrigued by this that I finnally went back to the store and got me a box of Partagas Belvederes. I brought back this box to my small 1 room apartment, opened the box, took out one cigar and started to smoke it. That little bugger was so strong that I didn't even finish it and chucked it in the bin.

Weeks later, I took out another cigar and tried smoking one again, Damn, same thing but this time it was even worse. Anyway, to make a long story short, I went back to the store and asked the vendor why and he told me that I had to humidify the cigars, temp. storage, etc etc.(my room had a central heater and my cigars were always on my small table without any protection). From there , I started to get interested in the thing so I went to see a real cigar shop in town and for the next 8 months spoke with the gentleman and from there, started my cigar apprenticeship.

As my passion grew, my thirst for information grew even faster, I started to document myself by reading all I could about Cuba, drove my cigar shop vendor crazy by always asking if he recieved any new ads or magazines, booklets, anything !!!!!!!

One day,he even gave me his cigar catolog from Cubatobaco just to get rid of me. Yep,you can imagine how much a pain in the ass I must have been.

As strange as it may sound, those were however , some of my most happiest years. I had the chance to smoke some of the best cigars at the time and some of the worst but my Habano has always been a faithful companion. A celebration that has been present at every event of my life, my marriage, my kids, my work, my moments of solitude, my joy with beings with friends, recieving but also giving and sharing with others.

40 years may seem long but in realaity, I'm just starting to learn,but,isn't that what life is all about ?

[anacostiakat]

Congratulations on your longevity!

Time indeed does fly when you are having fun.

"...you can imagine how much a pain in the ass I must have been. ..."

Yes we can imagine!

[thechenman]

Wow...congrats on 40 years. Myself, I've only reached the 1.6 year mark.

[Stalebread]

What a great story!

[khomeinist]

Thanks for sharing that excellent story!

[cadillacdoc]

Congrats.........I'm at 36 years. Sadly only around 20 with cuban sticks.

[reg]

congrats! that is quite the milestone. continue to smoke in good health

[MontrealRon]

Thanks for sharing these great memories, Guy.

Forty fine years;

May you have forty more, even better!

[Colt45]

Thanks Guy

[Chaki]

Bravo! Et bonne continuation!

Congratulations! I wish you many more years of happy smoking!

[Cohiba007]

Great story. Thanks Guy. And congratualtions!

[dcse]

Thank you for sharing.

[cigaraholic]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GUY !!!!!!!!!!

In June I also will celebrate 40 years enjoying Habanos.

How lucky we are !!!!!

Thank god I started early.

[CigarmanTim]

Guy... I don't understand...I thought you were 39 years old?!?!

Congrats.

[ChanceSchmerr]

Congrats, Guy! I Look forward to having such a great accomplishment under my own belt. Only 37 years to go!

[mkz]

WOW! Thanks for sharing Guy! Great reading!

I can only imagine how I will look back on my "cigar-life" in about 35 years from now...

[gersonmorelli]

Congrats! This year I'm completing 10 years since I've smoked my first Cuban Cigar (and first time I smoked anything for that matter). I'll never forget: La Flor de Cano Tubos.

[SandmanTR]

Great story and great memories! Thanks for sharing...

...39 more years to go for me.

[samb]

Congrats on 40 great years of stogie enjoyment!!!!

[LeafLover]

Guy, what a great habano life you've had and continue to have. Thanks for imparting your experience to all of us.

Leaf

[thurmanmunson]

Salud Guy!

[laficion]

I would like to thank you all for your great response to my thread,

so ,to keep you in touch with the developments, this afternoon a club member

called to see how I was doing but also to catch up with what's going on with the club.

I had the bright Idea of telling him that I was, symbolically, celebrating my 40th anniversary

of cigar smoking and 2 and a half hour later 15 guys came knocking at my door with

each a plat of foods plus some fine wines, desserts AND some great cigars, too many to mention.

They prepared everything, used and abused my kitchen while I set the table outside.

We had a great time and when everyone left, each person gave me a cigar for tomorrow

What more is there to say ?

With friends like that, I can truly say I'm a lucky GUY

[JMH]

Great story, even better mates, terrible pun

[Aficionado]

Great story !

Congratulations all 40!

Wish you next 40 years of happy smoking!

[mbrody]

Thanks for sharing! Couldn't happen to a nicer Guy...