H
Hitch
Guest
The alarm went off at 6:00am – far too early that morning considering the short time we had spent in bed after enjoying the city the night before. My wife and I and two friends had rented a room at Hephzibah House, a restored brownstone retreat centre near Central Park in Manhattan. It was a dark and chilly November morning. I woke my wife; dressed and headed down for some coffee in the parlour to bring up to encourage her waking and getting ready. We were due to meet our friends downstairs to start the day of touring together. We needed the internal warmth and caffeine before we headed out to the subway so we took a second cup with us. We had bundled up in scarves, toques and winter coats because it was a chilly morning and we knew that we would be cold riding the ferry to Liberty Island and on to Ellis Island. I carried a satchel on my shoulder and in it along with the map, ferry tickets, and Metrocard subway passes was my pipe pouch, some 10 year old 5100, a lighter and tamper. I was intent on carrying out my plan – to smoke my pipe on Liberty Island in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty.
We walked the 4 blocks to the subway. Using the Metrocard we went down the stairs to the subway and quickly boarded the train. We exited the subway near Trinity Church and Wall Street and walked through Battery Park to join the line of those waiting to clear security and board the ferry. By 8am we were on the ferry ready for a 20 minute ride to the island. We found seats on the top deck and hunkered down into our warm coats ready to take pictures. The wind off the water was cold but we did not want to miss the full view of the city behind us and Liberty Island and Ellis Island ahead on the journey across the water. I took pictures as we left Manhattan and continued as we approached the island. Once the boat docked, we made our way along the walkway to a coffee shop and bought a hot coffee to sip while we walked around to a spot where we could sit and look at the Lady. She is far more massive than pictures can communicate. She weighs 450,000 pounds and stands 151 feet tall from the tips of her crown to the broken shackles at her feet. She is truly an amazing sight to behold.
We made our way to a place on the walkway where we could look up into her face and see the glory of the statue. We took some photos and just enjoyed the view. I decided that now was the time to fire up my pipe. The spot was perfect and the setting could not have been better. I sat down on the low wall out of the wind, opened my satchel and took out my pipe pouch. I unzipped it and took out my chosen pipe. I opened the pouch of aged 5100 and packed the pipe. I was savouring the moment as I packed it and checked it. I set it on fire with my lighter and puffed on the pipe to get things going. Once it was burning well I sat back and sipped the smoke. It was quiet even though there were a lot of people on the sidewalks. It is a place that seemed to evoke silence. I looked across at the Manhattan skyline taking in the tall buildings and the textures of the city. As I smoked my pipe it became obvious to me that the setting was a great place for reflection and introspection so I virtually disappeared into the smoke. My wife and the other couple who were with us were out of mind as I savoured this pipe moment. I love it when the pipe and smoke take me for a quiet trip outside of the event to a place deep within my own soul. I find it restful and exhilarating at the same time.
My wife and our friends continued to take pictures and walk around the area while I sat and enjoyed my pipe. I was content to just sit and smoke while I looked up at the statue and out across the water to the gap left by the Twin Towers. The sunshine took a bit of the chill out of the air and warmed me. The warm bowl of tobacco in my hand kept my hands warm as well. What a great place to enjoy a pipe. The day was perfect and the air was clear. The view on the horizon and on the island itself was stellar. It could not get much better.
My reflection led me to thinking long and hard about the freedom that I so often take for granted as a citizen of the west and that I also so easily abandon passively without voicing a complaint or concern. For example, the right to sit and smoke my pipe in public is dramatically changing. It is being taken away piece by piece with precision by the vocal anti-smoking advocates. They have declared their role to act as my conscience and defined my pleasure a vice. They argue emphatically that it should not be allowed for anyone anywhere at any time to smoke in public. In Vancouver, British Columbia, where I live, just a few years ago they made all pubs and public places non-smoking. This was quickly followed by declaring outdoor patios at restaurants and pubs also non-smoking citing safety concerns for wait staff regarding second hand smoke. Soon it became illegal to smoke anywhere near a door or air intake vent, removing most of the places that smokers gathered outside their workplaces. The next blow came last year when they made it illegal to smoke in outdoor public space such as parks and beaches. They cinched the knot even tighter for smokers when they declared it illegal to smoke in a car when there are children present. They are systematically working to make my home city “smoke-freeâ€.
All of this went through my mind as I sat under the shadow of Lady Liberty that morning. My wife says I am being paranoid when I share with her about such things, but I find myself unable to not feel a bit paranoid about them. We tend to suffer from the “frog in the kettle†syndrome. Like the frog in the pan of water on the stove, we do not notice that the heat is gradually being increased and we sit passively while we slowly are being cooked. The gradual erosion of our freedom takes us further into a nanny state that decides what is lawful for us. I find it frustratingly hard to know what to do with this issue. I write and protest but the law marches on. I now personally am employing a more passive aggressive approach and purposefully, publicly smoking my pipe in each place it is not allowed. Hopefully I will get caught and get to speak my mind. Anyway, back to NYC.
It was only I later that I found out that New York City was moving in the same direction. We found no pubs or restaurants that allowed smoking. I am also quite certain that I was breaking some law about smoking a pipe in public when I enjoyed the pipe on Liberty Island. But I savoured the moment knowing that it would probably never happen again for me. I sat on the wall and enjoyed my pipe for probably a half an hour and then continued to puff on it as I wandered around the park taking in the trees that cold, clear and
New York morning. It was just about perfect. You know, the amazing thing to me was that no one commented on my pipe. No one expressed either negative or positive sentiments. No one walked by holding their noses or rolling their eyes with disgust at my “filthy†habit and no one commenting on memories of dear ones who used to smoke a pipe in times gone by. It was as if I was invisible to them for the time or maybe I was just oblivious to their responses as I lived in the solitary moment delivered by a good pipe and tobacco to the pipeman whenever he lights the fragrant leaf for a settled bowl.
Steve Laug is a team meber at Smoker's Forum
We walked the 4 blocks to the subway. Using the Metrocard we went down the stairs to the subway and quickly boarded the train. We exited the subway near Trinity Church and Wall Street and walked through Battery Park to join the line of those waiting to clear security and board the ferry. By 8am we were on the ferry ready for a 20 minute ride to the island. We found seats on the top deck and hunkered down into our warm coats ready to take pictures. The wind off the water was cold but we did not want to miss the full view of the city behind us and Liberty Island and Ellis Island ahead on the journey across the water. I took pictures as we left Manhattan and continued as we approached the island. Once the boat docked, we made our way along the walkway to a coffee shop and bought a hot coffee to sip while we walked around to a spot where we could sit and look at the Lady. She is far more massive than pictures can communicate. She weighs 450,000 pounds and stands 151 feet tall from the tips of her crown to the broken shackles at her feet. She is truly an amazing sight to behold.
We made our way to a place on the walkway where we could look up into her face and see the glory of the statue. We took some photos and just enjoyed the view. I decided that now was the time to fire up my pipe. The spot was perfect and the setting could not have been better. I sat down on the low wall out of the wind, opened my satchel and took out my pipe pouch. I unzipped it and took out my chosen pipe. I opened the pouch of aged 5100 and packed the pipe. I was savouring the moment as I packed it and checked it. I set it on fire with my lighter and puffed on the pipe to get things going. Once it was burning well I sat back and sipped the smoke. It was quiet even though there were a lot of people on the sidewalks. It is a place that seemed to evoke silence. I looked across at the Manhattan skyline taking in the tall buildings and the textures of the city. As I smoked my pipe it became obvious to me that the setting was a great place for reflection and introspection so I virtually disappeared into the smoke. My wife and the other couple who were with us were out of mind as I savoured this pipe moment. I love it when the pipe and smoke take me for a quiet trip outside of the event to a place deep within my own soul. I find it restful and exhilarating at the same time.
My wife and our friends continued to take pictures and walk around the area while I sat and enjoyed my pipe. I was content to just sit and smoke while I looked up at the statue and out across the water to the gap left by the Twin Towers. The sunshine took a bit of the chill out of the air and warmed me. The warm bowl of tobacco in my hand kept my hands warm as well. What a great place to enjoy a pipe. The day was perfect and the air was clear. The view on the horizon and on the island itself was stellar. It could not get much better.
My reflection led me to thinking long and hard about the freedom that I so often take for granted as a citizen of the west and that I also so easily abandon passively without voicing a complaint or concern. For example, the right to sit and smoke my pipe in public is dramatically changing. It is being taken away piece by piece with precision by the vocal anti-smoking advocates. They have declared their role to act as my conscience and defined my pleasure a vice. They argue emphatically that it should not be allowed for anyone anywhere at any time to smoke in public. In Vancouver, British Columbia, where I live, just a few years ago they made all pubs and public places non-smoking. This was quickly followed by declaring outdoor patios at restaurants and pubs also non-smoking citing safety concerns for wait staff regarding second hand smoke. Soon it became illegal to smoke anywhere near a door or air intake vent, removing most of the places that smokers gathered outside their workplaces. The next blow came last year when they made it illegal to smoke in outdoor public space such as parks and beaches. They cinched the knot even tighter for smokers when they declared it illegal to smoke in a car when there are children present. They are systematically working to make my home city “smoke-freeâ€.
All of this went through my mind as I sat under the shadow of Lady Liberty that morning. My wife says I am being paranoid when I share with her about such things, but I find myself unable to not feel a bit paranoid about them. We tend to suffer from the “frog in the kettle†syndrome. Like the frog in the pan of water on the stove, we do not notice that the heat is gradually being increased and we sit passively while we slowly are being cooked. The gradual erosion of our freedom takes us further into a nanny state that decides what is lawful for us. I find it frustratingly hard to know what to do with this issue. I write and protest but the law marches on. I now personally am employing a more passive aggressive approach and purposefully, publicly smoking my pipe in each place it is not allowed. Hopefully I will get caught and get to speak my mind. Anyway, back to NYC.
It was only I later that I found out that New York City was moving in the same direction. We found no pubs or restaurants that allowed smoking. I am also quite certain that I was breaking some law about smoking a pipe in public when I enjoyed the pipe on Liberty Island. But I savoured the moment knowing that it would probably never happen again for me. I sat on the wall and enjoyed my pipe for probably a half an hour and then continued to puff on it as I wandered around the park taking in the trees that cold, clear and
Steve Laug is a team meber at Smoker's Forum