Smoking of the fitness trail

Transferred from myspace. Originally posted April 25, 2007

I walk almost every morning at a park near my house (weather permitting, then it's to the boring gym). I like the park, because it's pretty and outdoors and there's lots of interesting things (like crazy geese who will run at you if you get to close to....something, I'm not sure what) and of course there are the people. I love to people watch and the park is a great place to do so. I've seen moms with little tiny babies in strollers, older people, overwight people, skinny people, young people jogging (inside I hate them because I can't run too-damn bad knee), and all sorts of other random people out and about walking the trail, feeding the geese and ducks or just enjoying the weather. Yesterday I passed an portly older man walking with a cup of coffee. I found this amusing for some reason and went around him as he was walking at something slightly slower than a stroll. A while later I noticed he was somehow in front of me again (shortcut!) and there was a weird smell. I thought it was just something in the air until I got closer and realized not only was he still drinking his morning coffee, but now puffing away on a smelly cigar. My first thought was ewwww. I hate smoking in any form, but to smoke on a fitness trail? Pure sacrilige. Anyone who got near Fidel instantly started hacking and coughing (seriously-imagine briskly walking or even running into a big cloud of thick cigar smoke-gross!). They all increased their speed to get around him as quickly as possible, most waving thier hands in fron tof them to ward off the offending smell. I wonder what could have possesed him to smoke on a fitness trail? I mean the word 'fitness' is right there in the title! It's not like it's a big secret. Oh, sorry, this is a fitness trail? Silly me! If you're tying to get fit, I applaud you, but please, save your smoking for a more appropriate place.