A Brief Word on Fellowship and Cigar Shops

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K.E. Powell

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 20, 2022
607
2,253
37
West Virginia
I know our favored vice has a way of occasionally compelling us into a sentimental mode, where lofty words like "brotherhood" are bandied about and misty-eyed smokers make paeans to a golden past that exists more in their minds than anything else. I'm hardly immune to such impulses, but I do try to keep grounded and to simply enjoy my tobacco for what it is. Still, a series of encounters made me reconsider, at least on the subject of fellowship, that the old sentimentalists may have had a point after all.

I recently found out about a fairly new cigar shop, Living My Best Cigar Life, that is literally a three minute's drive from my workplace. How it escaped my notice for so long is beyond me, but a former colleague brought it to my attention, and with another week's work behind me, I decided to visit last Friday. It was a nice little shop, with competitive prices and a friendly proprietor. He had some Peterson tins at a fair price, so I bought a tin of Royal Yacht a few cigars too.

A man who works with Aganorsa Leaf was there too, and told me about an event he was holding at Chesterton's, another cigar shop about a 40 minutes drive from my home. I've been to Chesterton's many times and enjoyed it, but never really stayed around other than to maybe smoke a pipe in their lounge.

I went to that event and thoroughly enjoyed it. Bought a few cigars, got a few free ones, and the presentation by the Aganorsa rep was really cool. He had individual leaves wrapped so we can taste the components one by one, and then later combine them to see how the different flavors and textures mingled. It was a good time and was just the kind of thing I always wanted to attend. Being somewhat new to cigars, it was also very illuminating.

When things began to wind down, I realized I didn't actually know anyone there and that I had (perhaps subconsciously) chosen a seat in the corner far away from everyone else. I decided it would be best to socialize, and I'm glad I did. I met a man there named Anthony, and we talked about what we do. We found we both work in the recovery and reentry communities (i.e. we help people suffering from addiction reintegrate back into society), and we really hit it off.

He said something that really stuck with me. He told me the importance of fellowship, and how something as simple as the occasional outing at a cigar shop could really help former addicts stay in recovery, because of the fellowship of other people helps buoy them. It's an obvious point, but it is one so easy to miss in my line of work. There's so much to be done, and it is so easy to accidentally treat people like problems instead of as, well, people. He told me he had one client that he introduced to the cigar shop in his hometown, and how that client credits his sobriety partially to be able to enjoy a good smoke with friends, in perfect fellowship.

It was good for me. Not just the free cigars, or the knowledge from the presentation, or even just making new connections that may prove useful in my work. It was good to just simply be. It's so easy to carve out little worlds for ourselves and make small places in it for a few trusted people. But sometimes we need to venture out and just be around people for its own sake. I always knew that, but it is good to be reminded from time to time.
 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
19,038
13,160
Covington, Louisiana
postimg.cc
That is a great experience!

I was fortunate, for many years, to have traveled the mid-Atlantic for work, and I was able to join pipe clubs in Philly, NYC, Albany,Winchester VA, DC area and the Allentown area. I met some great people there, that are good friends today. I no longer drive like that for work, and I miss those visits. It was a little intimidating for this small town boy to drive into the center of Philadelphia and NYC for club meetings (later, I used public transportation, which had it's own challenges and stories). It was gratifying to be known as "Al from Maryland" by the NYC group!

I did the same with nearly every name tobacco shop in the mid-Atlantic. In those non-club event shops, I was typically the lone pipe smoker. I'm a pretty friendly guy, so I would always try to spark a conversation. Most of the time it was reciprocal, only rarely met with indifference. I did always make sure to make purchases, in either pipe tobacco or cigars and every once in a while, a pipe. After a while, I got to know the regulars at most of these shops.
I used to complain about traveling, but in hindsight,I had it made and just didn't know it!

If you have a shop near you, definitely patronize them, you don't know how long they will last in this climate.
 

multitool

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 19, 2023
147
117
Hawaii
Very nice story. Thanks for sharing. I'm more introverted than not, so being social is something I've always struggled with, even now. Hell, just joining this forum involved more than a few discussions with myself in my own head. And although it's rough for some people, I would agree that we all need some social interaction and fellowship from time to time.
 
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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
45,248
119,236
But sometimes we need to venture out and just be around people for its own sake.

we all need some social interaction and fellowship from time to time.
For some or, probably more accurately many, that probably is the case. Others find socializing mentally and emotionally draining. After finding a job where I work a 7/12 shift alone, my stress levels went to nil. My only interaction with others there is through email, and daily lists of tasks left on my desk.
 
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Epip Oc'Cabot

Can't Leave
Oct 11, 2019
482
1,332
I know our favored vice has a way of occasionally compelling us into a sentimental mode, where lofty words like "brotherhood" are bandied about and misty-eyed smokers make paeans to a golden past that exists more in their minds than anything else. I'm hardly immune to such impulses, but I do try to keep grounded and to simply enjoy my tobacco for what it is. Still, a series of encounters made me reconsider, at least on the subject of fellowship, that the old sentimentalists may have had a point after all.

I recently found out about a fairly new cigar shop, Living My Best Cigar Life, that is literally a three minute's drive from my workplace. How it escaped my notice for so long is beyond me, but a former colleague brought it to my attention, and with another week's work behind me, I decided to visit last Friday. It was a nice little shop, with competitive prices and a friendly proprietor. He had some Peterson tins at a fair price, so I bought a tin of Royal Yacht a few cigars too.

A man who works with Aganorsa Leaf was there too, and told me about an event he was holding at Chesterton's, another cigar shop about a 40 minutes drive from my home. I've been to Chesterton's many times and enjoyed it, but never really stayed around other than to maybe smoke a pipe in their lounge.

I went to that event and thoroughly enjoyed it. Bought a few cigars, got a few free ones, and the presentation by the Aganorsa rep was really cool. He had individual leaves wrapped so we can taste the components one by one, and then later combine them to see how the different flavors and textures mingled. It was a good time and was just the kind of thing I always wanted to attend. Being somewhat new to cigars, it was also very illuminating.

When things began to wind down, I realized I didn't actually know anyone there and that I had (perhaps subconsciously) chosen a seat in the corner far away from everyone else. I decided it would be best to socialize, and I'm glad I did. I met a man there named Anthony, and we talked about what we do. We found we both work in the recovery and reentry communities (i.e. we help people suffering from addiction reintegrate back into society), and we really hit it off.

He said something that really stuck with me. He told me the importance of fellowship, and how something as simple as the occasional outing at a cigar shop could really help former addicts stay in recovery, because of the fellowship of other people helps buoy them. It's an obvious point, but it is one so easy to miss in my line of work. There's so much to be done, and it is so easy to accidentally treat people like problems instead of as, well, people. He told me he had one client that he introduced to the cigar shop in his hometown, and how that client credits his sobriety partially to be able to enjoy a good smoke with friends, in perfect fellowship.

It was good for me. Not just the free cigars, or the knowledge from the presentation, or even just making new connections that may prove useful in my work. It was good to just simply be. It's so easy to carve out little worlds for ourselves and make small places in it for a few trusted people. But sometimes we need to venture out and just be around people for its own sake. I always knew that, but it is good to be reminded from time to time.
I can completely understand and share your sentiment here. Being somewhat of an introvert myself, I sometimes forget how that sort of spontaneous comraderie can feel so very uplifting and pleasant when it happens. I had a similar experience when visiting Iwan Ries in Chicago this past Summer.
 
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blackpowderpiper

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 19, 2018
841
3,922
Middle Tennessee
Nice post. Back in the early to mid 2000's, we had a cigar shop here in Nashville called Uptown's Cigar shop. They had a very nice lounge area, great cigar and pipe/tobacco selection and a couple chairs with a table and chess board to sit and play a game if you were so inclined. I would often stop in after work and or someday's during my lunch break. I enjoyed much comradery there and enjoyed some great conversation. These days I don't socialize much but still have great memories of that place.