I have found it necessary to be quite graphic in my descriptions.I have found it necessary to be quite graphic in my descriptions. If you, dear reader, are squeamish or offended by frank language you would be advised to read no further. Smoking finally got to me a short time ago and I resolved to stop. I have never had an exceptionally strong will and had failed miserably with every method. I'd tried them all; pills, encounter groups, hypnosis, and anything else that my friends suggested. Two weeks ago yesterday I saw an ad in the paper so simple and direct (STOP SMOKING! WE'LL HELP YOU!) that I called the number immediately. The number connected me to "The Institute," and the receptionist gave me directions to an address downtown where I would need to fill out some paperwork. ******* SESSION ONE ******* Not until I arrived at "The Institute" did I learn that it deals with more than smoking. In speaking with the woman at the front desk, it became clear that they offered help with just about every aspect of life; people who wanted to become ex-smokers accounted for only a small portion of their clientele. I filed this away with the idea that if they helped with my smoking I might find at some later date that they would be able to help me with other things too. In a hurry, I completed both sides of the application and returned it to the lady. It was really quite brief and asked for only the basic details about myself, you know - name, address, date of birth, and so on. When it came to the part where I was to indicate what service I desired, I found that there were several columns of choices and I needed only to locate the one that said "Stop Smoking" and enter the key letters into the box provided. |