The Power of Mhee

[nocar]

....it's a short documentary on youtube. Not for everyone, but right up my alley ;)
Check it out!

[HappyHiker]

I starter to watch it, but left when I saw he smoked. Not making a political/health judgement, but wondering how smoking (tobacco) is related to living without money, given how costly cigarettes are? Turned me off.

[Float On]

Didn't watch the link yet but...


I started to watch it, but left when I saw he smoked..... but wondering how smoking (tobacco) is related to living without money, given how costly cigarettes are? Turned me off.


That is the one thing that really bothers me. People come by the church all the time asking for money for gas or food....and they stand there chain smoking and smelling of smoke. I couldn't afford to smoke if I wanted to. They'll spend their money on a box of cigarettes but expect me to provide their child with school supplies. The ones that yell the most about me (the church) not being able to help are the ones that smoke the most. It has soured my opinion for sure.

[HappyHiker]

Didn't watch the link yet but...

That is the one thing that really bothers me. People come by the church all the time asking for money for gas or food....and they stand there chain smoking and smelling of smoke. I couldn't afford to smoke if I wanted to. They'll spend their money on a box of cigarettes but expect me to provide their child with school supplies. The ones that yell the most about me (the church) not being able to help are the ones that smoke the most. It has soured my opinion for sure.

Yes, that's it...no money for food or other necessities, but money for cigarettes. Sure, I understand this habit, for I used to smoke. When a pack went up to $1.25/pack (15 years ago), I made an economic/health decision to quit.

Living simply/without money and cigarettes just don't match in my mind--and a person who practices this, has nothing to say to me that I want to hear.

[Valley]

I'm not a smoker, and I never have been, but I know smokers who really struggled to quit and found it extremely difficult. There is an addiction factor involved that I think we don't totally understand. I also believe (I'm not a psychologist) that there is a numbing or slight eupohoria that comes with the inhalation of the nicotine. I think that in many cases the cigarettes become the drug of choice for the poor the same way that paxil and other medications of the same ilk become the drug of choice for many others in helping them face their day to day lives. I still wish that we had some better answers, and yes it is totally frustrating to see the amount of money wasted on tobacco products! I am glad that I never started to smoke, as I already struggle enough with my food choices!

[chanterelle]

In his book Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt mentions how the social service people were always pushing and shameing the mothers who clung to their few precious Woodbine cigarettes when the children were hungry, so it's not a new issue.

Addiction, mental compensation and denial are complicated. Not a smoker myself and have a more take charge type of personality than most, but I remember the defeat, hopelessness and depression my mother suffered when I was younger and we were so very poor. I wonder what she would have done had she been a smoker.
Some things are more involved than I would imagine.

[chanterelle]

Ack, I forgot to mention the video! He is interesting, reminds me alot of people I knew in the 60's. I like to see people, in particular young ones questioning and looking about...not taking things a face value.
His ideas aren't new, just perceived with new eyes and technology...I wonder what the 60's would have been like with the web?!
About 1/3 of my life involves barter and swop related deals... don't think NYC would want to do a deal for my RE taxes though!
I wish him well in his quest.

[nocar]

I starter to watch it, but left when I saw he smoked. .

Seriously? So you're going to disregard anything he may have to say?

Do you drive? Have kids? Shop at Walmart? I think all those things are disgusting but I'm not going to write you off. Unbelievable.

[puglogic]

I'm interested in all of these alternative no-money stories (like "The Man Who Quit Money," which I enjoyed). Something to learn from all of them. Don't particularly care if he smokes, or if he bums a smoke now and then. We can't know.

I admit I also like that he featured Radiohead in the video :D

More power to him.

[redfox]

Seriously? So you're going to disregard anything he may have to say?

Do you drive? Have kids? Shop at Walmart? I think all those things are disgusting but I'm not going to write you off. Unbelievable.

You're disappointed that she didn't watch based upon her reaction to the smoking?

[Zoebird]

I think it's interesting that people are rejecting the idea that smoking and simplicity can go together.

There are a lot of things in my simple life that are luxuries. Honestly, tea is a luxury. I really only need water, right? I could probably save a fair bit of money each month if I didn't buy tea or boil water. Thus, making my life more frugal and simple.

Here's the thing for me. As I understand it, smoking often helps people feel more relaxed. It is also an appetite suppressant. I can imagine that women struggling in the world of Angela's Ashes would darn well need a bit of that relaxation and a suppressed appetite considering what food she could afford and did have was likely going to her kids ahead of herself -- even if they were still hungry -- and considering the labor that she likely had to go through in her daily life.

I really do not think that it's a problem to have cigarettes if it makes your life a little easier, a little better, a little simpler. Could one buy more food, or more healthful food? Yes, probably. But honestly, the cigs can suppress the appetite enough to need less food, and has the benefit of relaxing the body and decreasing the person's stress. And homeless and poor people are often under a lot of stress.

Also, I would prefer the use of cigarettes over alcohol or other drugs because at least the mind is clear. The person isn't likely to become raging loon as a drunk, or potentially violent as on some drugs. They tend to feel 'refreshed' and able to carry on.

And I don't even smoke -- so it's not like I'm even defending my own habit. I don't like the smell of it, and I don't think it' s great idea to draw ash into my lungs. After all, my job is breathing, so. . . yeah. :D

I don't see any reason why this should be particularly excluded from simple living, really.

[rosarugosa]

Wow Zoebird, I am surprised to hear that from you, only because I think you are more committed to a healthy lifestyle than most. I appreciate the tolerant attitude!
As a former smoker (will I ever wrap my head around that one?) who smoked pretty heavily for 38 years, I would like to reiterate the addiction aspect. When you are in the clutches, it certainly doesn't feel like a lifestyle choice. In fact, one of the best things about quitting is all the mental energy I no longer expend on the constant mindloop of "I've gotta quit, this is killling me, this sucks, I've gotta quit, why am I smoking" etc. etc. ad nauseum. So one of the best things about quitting is that I no longer need to think about the fact that I need to quit smoking. Because I did.

[Zoebird]

A large part of my work is wholly accepting people.

I had a student once whose mom really wanted him to do yoga. He was really against it. He came to class on her urging, and she wanted me to 'fix' him. One thing ws to get him to quit smoking.

So, I talk to the kid (he was about 19 or so), and he'd been smoking about 2-3 years. He said to me "I am not going to quit smoking." And I said "you don't have to. I would just ask that you not smoke for 20 minute before class because the smell can affect the other students. It falls under the same policy of not wearing perfume in class (and also why we didn't burn incense). A person 'off-gasses" the smoke for about half an hour after class. The smell on clothing, etc, is less overwhelming then, too. So, I pointed out to him, it's really just a courtesy to your fellow practitioners.

Ultimately, he did do yoga very regularly for 2-3 years, before he got a job elsewhere and I lost track of him. :) I don't knwo whether or not he quit smoking.

But what is important to me is that people feel wholly accepted exactly as they are when they walk through the door to do yoga. That it's ok to be a smoker, or overweight/obese, or to have bum knees, or whatever else the person is carrying with them.

When a person is ready to put it down, they'll put it down.

I also have friends (usually new) who will apologize for all manner of habits. My one smoker friend would always say -- just as she was lighting up -- "i should quit." And I said "really, why?" And she just sort of looked at me like I was nuts. And she said "wait, you're saying I shouldn't quit?" and I said "no, you should do what you want. If you want to smoke, then do so. Don't chastise yourself for doing whatever ti is that you want to do. When you no longer want to smoke, you'll not smoke. When you come to that, you won't have to say "I should." You'll just do it. And you'll figure out how to do it or whatever it takes. So, for now, you want to smoke. No big deal. I accept that."

It's weird, you know? about 4 months later she did quit. But what helped her quit was accepting, you knwo? Just accepting that "right now, I want to smoke."

I find that acceptance really helps people. Really helps me at least.

[Mrs-M]

I watched the entire video, but found it very dry. My guess is you have to be into that sort of thing. I'm not.