"My <Insert Familial Relation Here> Used to Smoke a Pipe..."

[jaxonlee]

While I am certain this has likely been covered in the forums a time or two, I simply can't be arsed to find the originals. Thus...

I take a couple of pipe breaks a day at work and tend to smoke in public as opposed to the dreadful cigarette-shack that is foul in every way imaginable, but I digress. Invariably I am approached by ladies and gentlemen my age and older with the cheerful, "My father/grandfather/maternal-cousin-thrice-removed used to smoke a pipe..." They will sometimes go on with a lovely story of their memories and other times they'll just make mention of their Uncle Melvin and his corncob pipe and then drift off.

In general, I really enjoy these interactions. They make me feel as if I have contributed to brightening up somebody's day and reigniting the memories of a beloved family member. Those things are important.

That being said, how do you tend to respond to folks who approach you in like manner? A friendly nod? Say thank you? Shout, "oh god, not that ba$tard!"?

 

[Chasing Embers]

I can honestly say that I have never been asked or approached about it. At work we just have smokers. Some with cigarettes, some with cigars, and a few with pipes.

 

[bnichols23]

-laugh- I get it a lot too. I actually enjoy that sort of interchange, even if they say I remind them of the old buzzard!

 

[mso489]

I smoke mostly at home so don't get much reaction. My wife used to smoke Galois and Camels, her dad cigars, my grandfather, father and uncle pipes, etc. I suspect if I was approached with allusions to the person's relative, I'd ask about them, fish for stories, which would be interesting. People tend to have a boiler plate about family member, but sometimes if you get them talking it turns out Uncle Ralph assassinated the King of Estonia, or something unexpected anyway.

 

[mngslvs]

I probably wouldn’t even smoke a pipe had I not spent time watching my grandfather smoke. Two of my uncles also smoked. My father also smoked surreptitiously in his car, but I think sporadically. I don’t think he ever got the hang of it.
No one ever sees me smoke, but if they do learn that I smoke a pipe, I always get : my father/my uncle/ etc smoked a pipe. But some of the pleasure is killed if they then tell me that these folks smoked some drugstore blend that horrifies me. We have infinite choices these days, lucky us.

 

[augiebd]

I mostly smoke at home, when I’ve been in public it does start conversation. I usually go with the flow, respond to what people lead with, tell related stories answer their questions. I’ve had people react with curiosity and interest when I talk about my pipe smoking but it’s always been about the old guys in the neighbourhood they grew up in. Most people just aren’t interested or aren’t comfortable with the subject until they realize I don’t inhale or smoke 12 bowls a day. I haven’t met anyone who owned up to having a pipe smoker in the family.

 

[marlinspike]

I rarely puff anywhere but my back deck, so I can't remember when I last had anyone ask about a pipe, or offer me a familial reminiscence. Both my paternal grandfathers smoked pipes, as did several of my paternal uncles (my dad never did, having taken up cigarettes as a teenager, then moved into Red Man chewing tobacco, before my mom quashed that for good!).

 

[kcghost]

Like most folks I don't smoke when I am out and about except when I go to the smoke shop.

 

[rushx9]

I get the "my grandpa/dad/uncle used to smoke a pipe" thing nearly everytime I smoke in public. I've even had a few cutie girlies follow that statement up with "and I've always wanted to try it, can I try a puff of yours?" And even one who's husband (a cop) came out like what the hell is going on here, and she turned and said "hey try this honey, remember I told you I loved the smell of my grandpa's pipe?!" And then I had to watch them pass my pipe around like a bowl of cheeba. Weird freakin' drunk cop/copwife combo. ? Luckily, no one has asked to try my pipe since the whole pandemic pandemonium started. Ladies still say it smells good though ?.

 

[stevecourtright]

My Great-Uncle Pascoe - we called him Uncle Pat - earned his license to practice law during the Prohibition and smoked a pipe most of his life. He was also fond of Manhattans as were all of his siblings. In fact, my grandfather would mix up a pitcher every day and a number of his brothers would arrive promptly at the house at 4:00 to visit and have a glass. One of my favorite stories was about when he was offered a substantial retainer to work for the "Capone boys." Uncle Pat would always say "Capone" with three syllables, so I accept that as Gospel as the correct way to pronounce it. Anyway, the sum often quoted was $1000 a week. This was during a time when a nice apartment in Chicago would run you about $45 a month. Well, Pascoe was the oldest of the family and was expected to help out with the bills so he asked his father whether he should accept. His father said, "I'm not going to tell you what to do but remember this: you can only say "no" once." Despite growing up with the Capone family and considering them friends, he found a way to decline. Uncle Pat had a long and successful career and was my favorite Great-Uncle until he passed away in his 90s.

 

[sandollars]

Never been asked as I only smoke at home.

 

[marlinspike]

My Great-Uncle Pascoe - we called him Uncle Pat - earned his license to practice law during the Prohibition and smoked a pipe most of his life. He was also fond of Manhattans as were all of his siblings. In fact, my grandfather would mix up a pitcher every day and a number of his brothers would arrive promptly at the house at 4:00 to visit and have a glass. One of my favorite stories was about when he was offered a substantial retainer to work for the "Capone boys." Uncle Pat would always say "Capone" with three syllables, so I accept that as Gospel as the correct way to pronounce it. Anyway, the sum often quoted was $1000 a week. This was during a time when a nice apartment in Chicago would run you about $45 a month. Well, Pascoe was the oldest of the family and was expected to help out with the bills so he asked his father whether he should accept. His father said, "I'm not going to tell you what to do but remember this: you can only say "no" once." Despite growing up with the Capone family and considering them friends, he found a way to decline. Uncle Pat had a long and successful career and was my favorite Great-Uncle until he passed away in his 90s.

Now that's a great story! One of my wife's previous co-workers had grown up on Long Island in the '40s/'50s, when construction was booming, and her father was a general contractor. She said he was extremely careful who he did business with, and vetted his contractors VERY carefully, because he never wanted to end up beholden to someone with Mob ties from NY or NJ.

 

[stevecourtright]

Now that's a great story! One of my wife's previous co-workers had grown up on Long Island in the '40s/'50s, when construction was booming, and her father was a general contractor. She said he was extremely careful who he did business with, and vetted his contractors VERY carefully, because he never wanted to end up beholden to someone with Mob ties from NY or NJ.

No doubt a tricky proposition!

 

[mso489]

Had a friend at work whose dad took him to the Boston godfather, whoever that was in the late 60's, to get money to send him to college. He eventually got a Ph.D. in oncology and a career in research. There was this strange crime/community connection. My friend wrote a terrific short memoir about growing up on the streets of Boston, doing one or two hustles of his own, like grabbing the money as it was passed to the tollbooth.

 

[anotherbob]

While I am certain this has likely been covered in the forums a time or two, I simply can't be arsed to find the originals. Thus...

I take a couple of pipe breaks a day at work and tend to smoke in public as opposed to the dreadful cigarette-shack that is foul in every way imaginable, but I digress. Invariably I am approached by ladies and gentlemen my age and older with the cheerful, "My father/grandfather/maternal-cousin-thrice-removed used to smoke a pipe..." They will sometimes go on with a lovely story of their memories and other times they'll just make mention of their Uncle Melvin and his corncob pipe and then drift off.

In general, I really enjoy these interactions. They make me feel as if I have contributed to brightening up somebody's day and reigniting the memories of a beloved family member. Those things are important.

That being said, how do you tend to respond to folks who approach you in like manner? A friendly nod? Say thank you? Shout, "oh god, not that ba$tard!"?

I love talking to such people. It's a really little treat. It doesn't happen all the time but enough. I usually ask if they know what their parent or grandparent smoked (usually who smoked the pipe). The thing is they're always so happy about it. Which says a lot about pipes and how they're not sad because the pipe took grandpa away too young or something like that.