Coming Out of the Piper Closet!

[fellrobin]

Hi all

I’ve bummed a few cigarettes off friends in my time, but never been considered a cigarette smoker and apart from my wife, as far as my wider family are concerned I’m a smoking virgin.
Despite that, I’ve dabbled in pipe smoking (see my introduction post) - and cigars for that matter - but again, apart from my wife, no one knows. This kind of puts a bit of strange pressure on me in that I don’t really know how to ‘come out’ to friends and family as a pipe smoker or indeed whether I should anyway… after all, I see pipe smoking as a solitary activity that I engage in privately to clear my head and ‘take a break’ at the end of the day.

Would love to know if anyone has any thoughts or similar experiences!

Thanks
Nathan

 

[bullet08]

I was born with cigarette hanging from my lips. Well, my father was a smoker, and so were all the male and most of female relatives. What's closet?

 

[fellrobin]

I was born with cigarette hanging from my lips. Well, my father was a smoker, and so were all the male and most of female relatives. What's closet?

Like ‘in private’ I guess. Coming ‘out of the closet’ I suppose means going public about a private activity?

 

[bullet08]

Like ‘in private’ I guess. Coming ‘out of the closet’ I suppose means going public about a private activity?

You sound like a married man. You can do what you want to do. Others should honor your decision and stay out of your business. In theory, that should work!

 

[LikeDadDid]

I smoke in my truck. It's like a closet because it has shoes and old food inside it, and it smells bad. Sometimes I come out. Mostly I don't.

 

[hauntedmyst]

Since you aren't likely to smoke around them, I don't think you need to tell anyone. It's your business and doesn't become theirs until you smoke around them. Given the misinformation at this day and age, coming out seems like more of a headache than it's worth.

 

[MarcosEZLN]

I'm almost 40 years old but if my mom found out I smoke it would break her heart. Frankly, I don't plan on ever coming out of the closet to her on this one.

 

[saltedplug]

It's no one else's business unless you make it so.

 

[Corcoran-Rooney]

Hi all

I’ve bummed a few cigarettes off friends in my time, but never been considered a cigarette smoker and apart from my wife, as far as my wider family are concerned I’m a smoking virgin.
Despite that, I’ve dabbled in pipe smoking (see my introduction post) - and cigars for that matter - but again, apart from my wife, no one knows. This kind of puts a bit of strange pressure on me in that I don’t really know how to ‘come out’ to friends and family as a pipe smoker or indeed whether I should anyway… after all, I see pipe smoking as a solitary activity that I engage in privately to clear my head and ‘take a break’ at the end of the day.

Would love to know if anyone has any thoughts or similar experiences!

Thanks
Nathan

I can see you are from the UK. I don't think people from the US, as most are in this group, would necessarily understand the conundrum. In a lot of ways, the US is a more open society than here, and there, it seems, you can do mostly what you want without being judged by others. Anyone under the age of 60 who smokes a pipe here, will be judged a pretentious wanker, in a way I suspect a smoker of a similar age would not in America. I certainly do not smoke in front of others. Cigarettes yes, but anything other than that, no chance. A cigar, maybe, if it was a special occassion and everyone else was smoking them. But a pipe, not in a million years. Those days are long since gone in this country.

 

[magicpiper]

I don’t necessarily go around telling everyone I smoke pipes and cigars. It really isn’t anyone’s business. I smoke alone, usually, or with one or two select friends that have equal interest in pipes and cigars. My wife knows I smoke them. The rest of my extended family probably has no idea and I have no reason to concern them with what I do with my time. And to everyone else, I’m just Tommy. Not Tommy the pipe smoker. Oh, and I’ve also been referred to as A$$hole a time or two.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I'm almost 40 years old but if my mom found out I smoke it would break her heart. Frankly, I don't plan on ever coming out of the closet to her on this one.

I started smoking to piss off my parents. When they found out, Mom bought me a nice Zippo and Dad got me a carton of Winston's. ?‍ Everyone knows I smoke. Everywhere I go I have a pipe lit.

 

[kschatey]

I don’t necessarily go around telling everyone I smoke pipes and cigars. It really isn’t anyone’s business. I smoke alone, usually, or with one or two select friends that have equal interest in pipes and cigars. My wife knows I smoke them. The rest of my extended family probably has no idea and I have no reason to concern them with what I do with my time. And to everyone else, I’m just Tommy. Not Tommy the pipe smoker. Oh, and I’ve also been referred to as A$$hole a time or two.

Ditto for me with a pipe in the USA, except for the Tommy part.

 

[GothPiper]

When I began pipe smoking, I simply told friends that I "decided to take up a new vice".

Older folks reacted very positively; often recounting memories of the smell of their grandfather's pipe. Younger folks reacted with more curiosity and questions about how it all works.

So far, no negative responses from anyone, including from some who I know to despise cigarettes. I vote for coming out of the closet to those around you. You may be surprised by their reaction!

 

[warren]

I don’t really know how to ‘come out’ to friends and family as a pipe smoker or indeed whether I should anyway

Why bother to formally admit your choice. They'll notice the odors and figure it out for themselves. Make 'em work for it.

 

[bullet08]

When I told my friends I started smoking pipes, they laughed for good 30 minutes.

 

[Charlie718]

My friends know I love fishing and worked a boat for a time so when they saw me with a pipe they immediately thought of me as an ol’ salty dog / Popeye and asked me where’s my can of spinach and wool hat lol.

P.S. it was better then being called a hipster ?

 

[didimauw]

Don't bring it up at all. Just light the pipe in front of em. Shoot first, answer questions later.

 

[Charlie718]

I kinda liked how I told my brother about my new habit. He brought over his family and I lit up my pipe. That was it end of story lmao. He still brings his family around

 

[Charlie718]

Don't bring it up at all. Just light the pipe in front of em. Shoot first, answer questions later.

Ahh you beat me to it lmao

 

[danimalia]

When I told my friends I started smoking pipes, they laughed for good 30 minutes.

Same. With plenty of "Popeye" "Sherlock" and "young republican" jokes at my expense thrown in ?

I think it depends on your family. If you spend a lot of time around them and might want to eventually smoke while in the same general space as them, maybe a bit of a heads up or forewarning might be in order. I think it depends on your family... If you don't plan on smoking around them or think they'd give you serious grief about it, then you are under no obligation to help them make you feel bad about something you enjoy... Or maybe give them one shot to say their piece about it and then they have to shut up forevermore on the subject.