Months ago I wrote about my attempt to quit smoking cigarettes. It was near the end of summer and it was the most miserable of processes.

Bouts of anger, difficulty writing, near constant irritation, frequent confusion and a wide variety of anxiety and depression symptoms accompanied me on that journey.

Fortunately, they’ve largely subsided.

During that time I was surprised to find that many of my friends and acquaintances had read that piece and had embarked on a similar journey themselves. It was not my intent to inspire nor persuade anyone to join me, but I’m hopeful that at least some are having luck on meeting their goals.

I’m glad to say that I’ve successfully kicked the habit, at least as much as any addict can say they have done so.

I didn’t count the days nor do I care much about how much time has passed since my last cigarette, but I know it’s been months.

Despite the promises by doctors and the anti-tobacco gang, I can honestly say that tales of feeling better, healthier and saving tons of money have been greatly exaggerated in my experience.

I’ll convey to you my honest report that I’ve seen no noticeable difference in my bank account and with the weight I’ve gained I feel more out of shape than I ever have. My body feels heavy and my ambitions toward physical activity have dwindled.

Frankly, I can’t honestly say I’ve felt any benefits to my physical well-being, but I do know they exist.

I’ve seen what smoking can do to a person overtime and as a father I’ve come to recognize time as the most precious resource we have.

I hope my choice to quit does afford me more time with my family and friends in the long run.

My journey began with a pact made with my father, who has also quit smoking and I hope that choice keeps him with me longer as well.

Let me be clear though, that I’m not preaching to anyone here, I’m simply sharing my experience as there seemed to be enough interest in the subject to warrant an update.

Now that I’ve conveyed a rather bleak picture about my journey, I can say there have been unexpected benefits that I experienced, but did not immediately recognize.

During the height of withdrawal symptoms I sought ways to busy my hands and my mind and in that time I did greatly improve my ability to play guitar. I’ve delved into a few more novels I’d have otherwise skipped and perhaps best of all I came to realize I had already gained back some of that most precious resource.

I’ve gained time with my kids that was once spent out on the porch and oftentimes interrupted play. This weekend we celebrated my son’s 5th birthday with a road trip to a splash pad and arcade.

I did not have to stop multiple times to smoke on the way there.

I did not have to leave the hotel room to get a cigarette in before or after my meals and I didn’t have to deal with cigarette withdrawals during my white-knuckled drive through a whiteout on the way home.

I am certain that my son’s birthday trip was much better without cigarettes interrupting our fun or having an ill impact on my mood as cravings cycles rolled around.

As is often the case I’ve come to discover that the benefits we expect aren’t always the ones we end up with, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

So there you have it folks, that’s where I’m at on my journey and I hope you’re having at least as much success on yours.

Thanks for reading.

Jimmy Lawton is news editor of North Country This Week and NorthCountryNow.com