Quality Time

tomatobodhi

My dad and I have been smoking together for years. When I was in college, he and I would sit on the porch and smoke. Now, 20 years later, we still meet every week or so at the local lounge to share a bowl together. I would say that pipe smoking is our quality time ritual for just being together and enjoying the other's company. I always look forward sitting down with our pipes and listening to him talk about cars and share war stories.

It is a special feeling when he breaks out his "favorite" pipe and starts packing it, since it was a gift I bought him for his 50th birthday.

When I lost everything in the Joplin Tornado in 2011 (including my entire pipe collection), the next day he brought me and my family socks and shoes and toothbrushes and all those sorts of things. Then he took me aside and gave me three of his old briars and some tobacco to "help me start over."

Pipe smoking has found a special place in our relationship over the years and continues to be an excuse to take a break and just enjoy some quiet time together.

I was just wondering if anybody else has had a similar experience they'd like to share...

ghostsofpompeii

@tomatobodhi I gone in the opposite direction by bringing my son into the hobby and sharing the pipe smoking experience with him. He doesn't come over as often as I'd like but when he does he brings along the pipe I gave him and we crack open a few tins of blends he hasn't tried that I think he might like. I wouldn't have introduced him to this filthy smoking habit if he wasn't already a cigarette smoker - and I'm hoping to wean him off of cigarettes completely.

thebadgerpiper

I'll never get tired of hearing these kinds of stories. It must be a wonderful bonding experience to smoke a pipe with your father/son. One day, I'd love to smoke a pipe with my dad, but he's a life long cigarette smoker, and I'm not sure he'd be up for trying it. Next time he comes over though, I'll see if he's interested.