It's Been a Rough Week

[k1j3l]

I've got to say, I've never been quite as stressed as I am at this moment. The past weeks have seen me in and out of a hospital, lose my job, and plenty of other small things not worth mentioning.
The pipe, for me, has been a great way to reward myself. Did I work hard today? Did I make someone happy? Has it just been a really excellent day? All great excuses to pack my brindisi with something sweet, and enjoy spending the afternoon blowing smoke rings while playing games, watching movies, or any number of hobbies I've picked up over the years.

But you know what? I'm finding there's more to it than that. It's a great tool. When I find myself getting overly stressed or anxious about the situation I've landed in, just a brief spell with my trusty little briar seems to help. It forces me to stop working myself up, stop worrying myself to near-tears. It lets me sit for a small moment, and clear my head. It helps me actually ponder, and work out solutions, instead of just listing and re-listing the issues.
And it brought me an unexpected surprise. I haven't been around the forum for two or three weeks due to everything going on, but found myself with a free moment a day or two ago. So, I thought, why not kindle some 1793, and see what everyone's up to lately. Little did I know, I had a gift sitting in my message box. shaintiques had contacted me for the Free Pipe Project, he wants to know if I'm still interested. I didn't even have to look at my handful of mostly empty jars. I respond immediately, of COURSE I'm interested.
Does it solve all my problems? No, but it gives me a reason to be excited, when I've been lacking any reason to feel so. To shaintiques, and to everyone who is or has ever contributed to the FPP: thank you. As sincerely as I could ever say it to anyone, thank you.

 

[tbradsim1]

Glad it's going to a deserving member, hang in there you"ll see the light.

 

[mustanggt]

Sorry for your troubles. One thing I've learned is my troubles and worries are not near as bad as they seem. I've also learned not to listen to the bad thoughts in my head which just manufactures more stress for me. There will be a job out there for you. Smoking the pipe has always helped me to relax and unwind. So you're doing a good thing. Keep it up and you can come out on the other side and put your troubles behind you.

 

[graydawn]

Great news.

 

[dottiewarden]

A pipe in the morning sets the mood for the day ahead. No, it won't fix anything, but if you're positive about life right from the beginning of the day, good things may happen. Get out there and do what you can to help others as others do to help you and you may find yourself in a situation beyond your dreams.
Congratulations to you and the gift bearers! To receive is as great an honor as to give.

 

[shaintiques]

Sorry to hear about your week but glad the FPP is brightening it a little bit. The FPP is the true spirit of what this forum is about, community, sharing knowledge, pipes, and tobacco, and growing our hobby. I mailed yours this morning, couple of pipes and 8-9 different tobaccos to try. Thanks to elpfeife who recently donated some very nice pipes that came in ready to go right back out as well as a big lot of new or nearly new pipes from an unnamed source, which I have to say is hard for me, I want to give credit where it is due, but I will respect his wishes. If anyone else is interested in donating the project is still going. If you haven't ever read the thread it is a good read, some of the photos are now gone, but more will be up soon for the 7 guys getting boxes in the next couple of weeks.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/free-pipe-project

 

[seagullplayer]

Hope you don't mind, I just said a prayer for you.
This too shall pass.

 

[wyfbane]

Peaceful thoughts to you in these hard days. Everything is a season. You can prevail. I, too, will pray for you.
Take care,
Mike

 

[huntertrw]

k1j3l:
Reading your post above brought to mind a story concerning General Creighton Abrams (in whose honor the M1 Abrams tank is named) during World War II. It seems that the General and his troops found themselves completely surrounded. After surveying the grim situation he gathered his commanders and said, "Gentlemen, for the first time in the history of this campaign, we are now in a position to attack the enemy in ANY direction!"
Keep your chin up, and your perspective straight, and I have no doubt that you will overcome these temporary setbacks. To that end, I, too, have offered a prayer to God for you.

 

[pipebaum81]

Kevin, my heart goes out to you. I am right there with you on the bad week front. I'll spare you the whole story but I haven't seen my kids in 8 months and I am trying to hold together a failing ten year marriage. I too find solace in the pipe and started smoking for the exact benefits you listed in your second paragraph. The benefits were immediate and irrefutable.
Always remember you aren't alone in sadness and stress; worry and strife. Shaintiques actions through the FPP, shows that kindness and empathy may save us all just yet.
j/B

 

[menuhin]

@k1j3l

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand..."

(Randy Pausch)

please hang in there, and keep your head up, and keep on enjoying what you can enjoy.

Hope the smoke spirit in your pipe tobacco can lead you to tranquility for playing your current hand well.

 

[pcr1]

Good thoughts to you buddy! Hope today is better.

 

[phred]

Yikes. Sorry to hear about the rough patch. I lost my job about a month after I'd started smoking a pipe, and I agree that having pipe-smoking as an outlet can be a huge help. I also credit the benefits of nicotine with my completing a certification exam prep course successfully, which in turn gave me both the ego boost I desperately needed and a line item on my resume that didn't hurt...
So yeah. Glad to hear that you're likewise finding the pipe beneficial, and good to hear that you're benefiting from the generosity of the forum members as well.

 

[indianafrank]

k1j3l, sorry to hear about your situation. I'm sending a prayer your way.
Jeremy, sorry to hear about the marriage, and not seeing your kids. A prayer to you as well.

 

[briarguys]

Hope things get better for you brother!

 

[k1j3l]

Along with what everyone in the FPP is doing, thank you too everyone who responded to this. I know we're here to talk about our favorite methods of burning tobacco, and it wasn't my place to vent in public like this, but I can say the quotes, well wishes, prayers, and all have really helped brighten my afternoon, more so than even an hours talk with a briar could do. And Jeremy, I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I haven't any kids yet, but it's only because we're waiting for these setbacks to pass. However, my inbox is always open if you need someone to talk to.
Thank you again, everyone.

 

[thehappypiper]

Sorry to hear about that. I myself was sacked on Jan 18th, one day before the month-long national holiday. My school was managed, quite frankly, by bastards and I was let go for refusing to take crap, so I see it as a sign of my own integrity that I didn't roll over. Several other teachers who've been there for several years feel entirely powerless to solve the very real problems which hinder their ability to do their job. Not for me. Anyway, I was incredibly down for a couple of weeks, even though I know I am in one of the best places on earth to get another job. After I dusted myself off and set my nose to the internet recruitment sites, things tok off very quickly. And I mean, very quickly. Within forty five minutes of posting a CV on one site I got a call offering me a job. An hour later some-one else called and I aranged an interview for the next day. I had several offers and had the option to work at every school I interviewed with. It was then a question of finding the best job. I start part-time on Monday which will allow me to keep everything ticking over and had an interview this evening for another place. If both positions prove worth keeping, I should make an increase in salary of >25% from the job I just lost.

If I had stayed in the West, I'd be practically begging for minimum wage.

 

[jkrug]

Sorry to hear you are having a rough go right now.

I hope things take a turn for the better soon.

 

[k1j3l]

It's been a long while, I know. Those of you who wished me well will be happy to hear that I have finally, after dozens of interviews, finally managed to not only land a job, but one with some real meaning. I'm now proud to say that the state has taken me on as a Communications Specialist, and things are finally breaking even. I still enjoy a good smoke with the pipes I received from shaintiques and the FPP, both of which are lovingly taken care of after every smoke. And I've still got a good bit of the tobacco gifted to me from 4nogginsmike, which has carried me through several rough patches between then and now. Looking back, the gifts these good men made to me helped more than I think either of them could have imagined. Whenever morale got low and I was out of ideas, a night on the porch with a solid briar and a tight leaf lent new ideas and motivation, and it really means the world to me.
For the kindness I was shown from everyone over the months, thank you.

 

[derfatdutchman]

Glad to hear your situation has improved. I agree a pipe and a little tobacco can provide much needed solace.