Cleansing the Air

I hate smoking. Sometimes I pretend to cough/choke when I walk by someone with a cigarette just to be obnoxious. I think it's a pointless addiction with absolutely no benefit to anyone. It doesn't make sense to me that you would consciously ruin your lungs and pass on second hand smoke to other "innocent" bystanders. So, for this week's exercise when we were told to do something in a public space that we normally wouldn't do, I chose to sit on a bench outside my dorm which is frequently inhabited by smokers.

I realize that this goes against all logic. Why would I choose to go into a space that I know will be filled with people doing something I despise? The area doesn't even have a designated smoking sign and yet people still know to congregate there and blow smoke at each other. But I wanted to experience the atmosphere first hand and see if my presence would deter anyone from joining me. Earlier today I purchased a cute little potted plant, which I took out to the bench with me. My goal was to pretend to "cleanse the air" of all the smoke by placing the plant close to any perpetrator.

I sat there and held it in my hands, waiting for someone to come by and light up. Ironically, the one day I actually want/need someone to be holding a cigarette, no one did. After a little while a guy came out, but after glancing at me and the plant, he walked about 20 feet away before smoking as if to say "freak". None of the students passing by said anything, but they all had confused looks on their faces. Then a girl came out and sat on the same bench I was on. She didn't seem to notice the plant, and went about business as usual. If she had seemed even mildly interested I would've told her of my environmentally friendly plan. I guess trying to stop people from smoking takes more than the presence of a strange girl and a small plant.

At least I got this amusing photo out of it. I love how upset I look and how casually she directs the smoke at my poor little plant... I wonder if I had a baby out there if anyone would still be so nonchalant about such a deadly habit? Just because you don't mind tainting your life doesn't mean other living things should suffer.