It's really quite simple, this quit thing. You couldn't have told me that 100 days ago, but hindsight is almost always 20/20. All it really takes is a quick flip of the wrist and all that tobacco is down the drain. But the chemicals seem to stick around a little longer. The synapses go firing one after another in your head and then when you take the drug away from the druggie, everything falls apart.

My addiction started when I was probably 12 or 13 out on Lake Livingston in East Texas. My gramps lived on the lake and we would go visit every so often and fish. My grandpa chewed Levi Garrett bricks and always kept a box full in his truck. I would always ask for a chew but he would always say my mom would kill him so the answer was always no. One day, though, I took it without asking while he was putting the boat in the water. By the time we hit open water, I was pretty green as a bean. That was the only time in my life I didn't enjoy a fishing trip. My grandpa told me later "let this be a lesson to you. Don't ever get started on this crud!" 4 years later, he died of cancer. 1 month after he died, my 102 year old great grandmother died of lung cancer, and gramps' widow died another month later also from lung cancer. Tobacco took 3 of my most loved family members within 3 1/2 months.

I basically dipped from the time I was 16 in high school football/baseball, through college, through my first couple of jobs after college, just like most of you all. I quit one time for my wife when we first started dating. I made it 10 months without even thinking about it and then a buddy offered me a dip while we were hunting. I figured I could have that one dip and be ok. That one dip turned into a 30 minute trail ride the next morning to find a c store for my own can. Been dipping strong since then. All in all, I dipped for about 9 years, 7 of which were at least a can a day.

I've almost been married for 2 years now. I had my usual hiding spots which consisted of the driver's side door pocket in my truck, in my back pocket between my ass and my wallet so nobody could tell I was "carrying", and in a pair of knee-high snake proof boots in my closet at home. This gave me a stash everywhere I would be so I would never have to go without.

I was caught a few times by the wife, and each time I would put on a little fake remorse show for her so she would be led to believe I was quitting. I would try, but only half-heartedly and would be back on dipping within the day.

This last holiday season, I wanted to make some promises to better myself. See, over the last year, I left my prior job as a police officer to find something a little more conducive to raising a family. My wife and I almost split up after only our first year of marriage because I was working too much and getting jacked up at work. She said she couldn't handle such a high-risk person, between me dipping and getting in fights with PCP addicts and getting shot at. When she heard that I had a hit out on my head for $75,000 by MS-13, she had enough.

But I couldn't let her go. So I was off the force in 2 weeks, and selling cars to make ends meet. Our income gets cut in half and I go into a bit of depression. I gained about 85-90 pounds since then and my dipping increased.

So back to bettering myself last December, I decided I would quit. I didn't set up a quit date or anything, but I told myself to keep throwing cans away till it worked. Well it didn't work till I found KTC on a google search. Actually found the light site first, but ended up joining KTC. I also started working out consistently. I gained a lot anyways cause I replaced dip with food, but oh well.

Jaysus, this is long, so I'll wrap this up here. Everybody has there own reasons for quitting. Everybody has their own style of quitting. Some people say there's only one way. Could I have gotten this far without KTC? Probably. Would it have been near as entertaining without this site? No Way! I know we have to quit for ourselves here, and I definitely did that, but I also dedicate my quit to my wife and my future children. Selfishness in my job choices and in my lifestyle choices nearly took my marriage after only 1 year! So while I did this to save myself in the long run, I also want to dedicate this to my wife.

Newbies, you can do this! I never planned on quitting, it just kind of happened one day. Focus on staying quit for the next 5 minutes early on. Anybody can do anything for 5 minutes. Don't even think about staying quit for any longer or else it will seem overwhelming.

Finally, some props and thanks for you quitters:

Chewie, thank you so much for all you do. You truly are a hero to us folks, along with all you other admins/mods. I really appreciate you guys.

ODT, 11x4, Loot, CJ, Remshot, Mule, QT, and Ready - Straight quit gangsters, I appreciate your committment to this site and ODT, your pics made me join this site!

RickyMartinMan - You were the first person that messaged me and made me feel at home. Thanks for leading the way.

SWJ - we basically had the same identical story and it was uplifting/comforting to see a perfect stranger going through the same struggle early on.

JPine - Basket case, but you got me going in chat early on and kept me company. Of course I appreciate your rants/raves, entertainment kept me quit.

Tfurrh - You're the natural-born leader in AP09. Never expected someone your age to step up, but you sure as hell did.

Outernal - Crazy mofo, you are. good onya for defending your cause, but thanks for the almost daily pissing matches in May. Now go delete the deatheaters.

BigDBingo - Thanks for the phone number exchange, but I'm glad we were strong-willed to not ever have to use them.

Chanilla - WTF Mate?

BLFoster - learning does get a mushroom stamp.

Voldemort - You're avatar gives my niece nightmares, but your a great man and the 20 pound challenge was good for me. My skinny wife thanks you!

And everybody else I missed, sorry, but ya'll know who you are! I can say that I definitely feel a sense of attachment to each and everyone of you guys and girls. We're one big fraternity of quitters here and I look forward to working with you all to further our cause!