I’ve had several discussions with my brother on the topic of the Hall of Fame and the associated speeches... so, to be clear, I am writing mine as more of a status check on my quit. I’d also like to offer words of encouragement for those just starting out, and to thank key personnel for their support in getting me to this first step in a much longer journey.

Making it this far is certainly a victory, and I will never take that away from all you HOFers and aspiring HOFers out there, but it’s a “battle” that was won, NOT the “war”. This war against the addiction, I suspect, will rage on for as long as I draw breath. I simply hope that as time goes by, my new found “love” :unsure: for Halls Cough Drops will subside, and the bouts of irritability & funk will become even more infrequent.

Yes, I am prepared for the post-HOF days, weeks, and months… but most importantly of all, I am prepared to maintain my “one day at a time” mentality. When I allow myself to think in terms of anything longer, I feel the Nic Bitch whispering discouraging words in my ear. You all have heard these things… you have felt the gut-wrenching pain, guilt, and the onset of severe demoralization. So, what do we all do? We say “fuck that” and return to focusing on “today”, right? It helps every time.

So, I feel the same way about HOF. It was but a special milestone in my quit, that when properly used in the future will provide a boost to my confidence when I wonder how much longer can I hold out against the Nic Bitch.

“Hell, I made it 100 days… so, I can definitely make it at least 1 more day.”

Okay, for you new guys… read what I have written above. “One fucking day at a time” guys, that’s how you will beat this thing. Explore this website… read the posts from previous groups… read all the resources. Knowledge is power… if nothing else, it keeps your mind busy.

Here is a list of troopers that took a little extra time to make sure that this Soldier was not left behind… and I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart. These guys are my personal HOFers (in no particular order): bert, kd4jet, pbkid, Big Bro Jack, Iuchewie, ndrooster, Sparky, Trapper, SWJ, bfhive, Smokeyg, Mule, rkymtnman, bubblehed, nevermore, Voldemort, nmc, and jpcrew. Each one of you reached out with a PM or kind word when it mattered. Then of course, a special thanks to the rest of May 2009 and all my acquaintances from various groups old and new. You guys are all some drama-loving fuckers, that is a fact… which is my queue to thank Skoal-Ranter and OCD-Outie. You guys kept it interesting. :blink:

Most of all, to my big brother CopeFiend… I hope this “speech” better explains what I tried to say about posting these things. Regardless, I got you started on the dip, and you got me started on this lasting quit. Not quite a fair trade. Love you bro.

So, here are my Post-HOF promises: 1) I will continue to post roll because it fucking works, 2) I will always try to post when I have something useful/important to share with you awesome folks, 3) I will always strive to help others with their quits, and lastly…

You may recall from my Intro that, at the time (103 days ago), I could not picture Lieutenant Colonel Jim without dip or cigarettes. Then in a follow-up last month I was struggling to come to terms with the "new" me (that irritable fucker without nicotine), only to realize that I was actually out to re-discover the “original” me. A pretty tough task since he has been lost in a nicotene induced haze for 20 years. Now, all that philosophical and psych-bullshit aside, I promise to complete that journey no matter how long it takes.

Anyway, I hope I have helped some of you, and that I can continue to serve those in need and make a difference, but while I am most certainly quit for MYSELF, I do owe this on-going quit to my family and especially to my unborn twins. May I live long enough to truly enjoy my new lease on life and watch them grow up.

"HOF is not the beginning of the end, just the end of the beginning."

'army'