About a year ago I started an Instagram page chronicling one of my favorite pastime vices - cigars. To some people smoking cigars represents a bad habit, stinkiness and filth. They're messy, they have a powerful odor that sticks to just about anything and they can be expensive. For people like myself smoking cigars really is something much deeper than a tobacco wrapper, binder & filler.
People who smoke cigars are not at all the same as people who smoke cigarettes. Considering that a cigarette is something that basically delivers a nicotine fix in a matter of minutes is a far cry from smoking a single 13.00 hand rolled Liga Privada T52 that might take 90 minutes to smoke in a Zen state of mind. Entirely two different purposes.
"A handmade cigar is a rebellion against frenzy and insanity; it means supporting contemplation over rash impulse, and represents a civilized revolution." -Steve Worthington
In addition to the sheer pleasure of smoking cigars, they themselves are fascinating. How they came about, what goes into them, how are they created, their processing & treatments, the types of tobacco used for each part of the cigar, their marketing, distribution and effects on their often war torn economies. Many cigar manufacturers have a great and long history and that when looked into, make for fascinating smoking topics.
Once you've decided to cut & fire up a cigar you already mentally accept that you will be dedicating yourself to around 60 minutes or so of slowing yourself down and immersing in a state of calmness & thought. Reading, cutting the grass, fishing, sitting on the deck and watching the sunset, talking to God, brainstorming your next business venture are just a few things that come to mind. A cigar cannot be rushed because of the nature of it's construction, otherwise it will burn wrong and taste bad, so the cigar itself governs it's time it will spend with you.
"You either smoke the cigar as it was meant to or you don't smoke it at all and defeat the purpose - picture Master Yoda smoking a cigar."
Cigar smoking is an event that can be most enjoyable when shared with a friend as it calls for a time of relaxing and conversation anywhere from 40 minutes to 90 minutes depending on the size of your smoke. A good time to toss your phone to the side and take in your organic surroundings, unplug from the electronic world and expand your oral communication skills while savoring the expertly constructed flavors of the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Honduras & Nicaragua.
With today's busy lifestyles and demands, the cigar experience is one that is personally extremely relaxing and therapeutic. Simply put, a vice I can justify with the least amount of guilt. There is nothing quite like after a long photo shoot or complicated video gig or after any kind of stressful ordeal, stretching your legs out and firing up a fine hand made cigar and shooting the breeze with your goombahs. Pure bliss I tell you. The tired old claim that people do not have time for this or that is a simple excuse, people make time for things that are important to them. So when someone wants to rush you along or pile stress on you when it's your time, instead of saying 'talk to the hand' just fire one up and say, 'talk to the cigar'. Cheers.
So check out my Instagram page if you want to see more pictures of cigars is various states of awesomeness. If you're a newbie smoker, hit me up with any cigar questions on there and I'll be glad to recommend something.