Life Begins at Thirtythree
by
Betty Eskdale
(Age: 63)
copyright 09-12-2001
Age Rating: 13 to 127
I finally broke free of smoking, after a long hard time. I suffered a few setbacks but now had a new mindset. I had at last figured it out, smoking wasn’t going to help me through life’s problems and was giving me a few extra. Never mind that my clothes and hair smelled yukky, that my teeth would loosen prematurely and start to fall out, my face was getting wrinkles early and I was addicted to John Player’s package and contents, costing me money that could be spent on healthier things. When I discovered that he was manipulating me by adding flavours I love to the tobacco like licorice or chocolate, I understood why that was the only brand I would smoke.
I developed pneumonia in the first part of the year and could only breathe about a teaspoon of air at a time. I was 33 years old and it seemed like I was not about to become 34. My husband came and told me in the hospital that my parents were not going to be able to come to visit me while I was ill, they had pneumonia and they were 800 miles away from my home. I was quite angry and thought, “ I guess this means I will have to get better” I couldn’t die on them when they were so ill.
I drank lots of juice and gave up smoking, thinking that I had better breathe clean air.
I went to the arena to watch a hockey game a week or so later, and my friend Ellen and I got to talking about how we used to be in good shape but motherhood was making us look matronly. We had a brilliant idea; we would start a ladies hockey team! It wasn’t long before we had a full team and a few extra, even got sponsors for our sweaters and socks and there we were! The Forestburg Blue Jays. Our Pittsburgh blue, navy and white uniforms looked great!
We started off playing the only team that would agree, and they were kind of embarrassed to go against a ladies team, and those 8 and unders could skate pretty well. After we beat them we started to look for more experienced opponents but the 10 and unders were another story. They were mean, lean fighting machines and a bit too talented for us.
Another town heard about us. Their men’s recreational team challenged us to a game. We were a bit suspicious but after questioning them, decided to try. There was a slight problem, their goalie was about 6'5 and I was about 5'3, those guys would slapshot and my coach figured I was going to get killed out there, but we decided to switch goalies, they would shoot on him and my girls would shoot at me.
It worked for a few minutes but then I got my coach to call the goalie to the center-line so we could talk, I told him “you just go ahead and let all the goals in you like, because we will be switching scores at the end of the game”. Suddenly he started stopping the puck!
We had lots of fun and developed a good team feeling. Then another town started a ladies team and we had competition in a league of our own. That was great!
I started writing a newspaper column called “Ice is Nice” to promote our ladies hockey and quickly ended up covering curling, men’s hockey, senior hockey and all the little guys including the Mighty Mites, Midgets and anyone else who would strap on winter equipment.
I started this in order to tell you a story about swimming but I haven’t made it there yet, next episode I guess…..
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I remember visiting you in the hospital, you looked so tired. With dad playing hockey and us girls figure skating it only made sense that you should be on the ice too...
Aw geez, Boog...now I look like the evil twin, indulging in smoke, and booze without a care in the world. I must disagree..life for me began at 40. Otherwise, from a non-prose writer, you seem to be able to tell a good story. I'm proud of you. When I had pneumonia when I was 21, it took me weeks to be able to get back to smoking full time...but I persevered, and now I'm a 27 pack-year (soon to 28) smoker!!! Good story, Boog, love, little sis
Thank you, Natalie, don't start, there isn't anything good about it. I just did it to be part of the crowd, student nurses were given packs of cigarettes by grateful patients , none of us knew they were bad for us and after I had given about 8 packs away, the girls offered to teach me how to smoke. I smoked for 17 years (half my life at that point).
Betty, great resolve to quit smoking. I did it in my early twenties after 10 years of smoking and never looked back. Sounds like you found a fun way to kick the habit, get in shape and have fun! I laughed over how you told the goalie that scores would be switched. Sure is a long way off swimming though! ~laughing~
Welcome !
