So after a lazy start to a Sunday, I sat on my back porch that overlooks the local park and just let my mind wander from how flavorful my new stick would be (a La Flor Dominicana “Chisel”, which is a double-ligero promising to be strong and spicy; I was anticipating a really great smoke) to who would be a few great people to share time with (alive or dead, I had the power!) while smoking a cigar.
When men get away and smoke a cigar, we slow down and really enjoy the time away from the world and all our responsibilities; men are under a much different level of stress than any other group.
Let me give you an example…. As you pass by a woman holding a sign that says, “Please, help; I have children – no donation is too small.” Nine out of ten men will donate, even if it means giving her our lunch money! Why? Well, our society raises men to protect women and as men, we need to “tough it out!”
Now, let’s me give you an example if it is a man that is holding a sign…. As you pass by a man holding a sign that says, “Please, help; I have children – no donation is too small.” Nine out of ten men will look at the dude and say, “Get a job!” Why? Well, men are usually very tough on other men plus we are problem solvers not listeners, ergo, we are solution oriented and thus, “Get a job!” means “Get off your butt and get a job – that will solve your problems!”
Back to smoking cigars with famous people…. With these people (alive or dead, this is my scenario) in groups of three, four or five max, If you could smoke a cigar with anyone, alive or dead, who would they be? Here’s the premise: You are going to go fishing on an all day boat, or golfing or just sitting, you can take three, four or five max, people with you… who would you take, so that you could smoke cigars while relaxing and just enjoy the conversation? I asked several of my friends, so here goes:
The cigar-size name “Churchill” originated in honor of the prolific cigar smoker, Sir Winston Churchill. The British Prime Minister was a huge fan of big cigars, but at the time almost all the cigars that were made were smaller in stature, so he had custom cigars rolled to his liking. Never seen without one of his large cigars, the cigars themselves quickly became known as “Churchill’s”, and have been so ever since. Don’t you just love having “inside info”? Thought so!
Well, my five people would include my grandpa Henry Murray because he died when I was young and I’d like to know him as a man; My son, Nathan, who I’d like to spend more time with him while in the company of my friends; St. Michael the Archangel, because he’d have some kick-ass stories to share; King Arthur of the Knights of the Round Table fame because he lived some incredible adventures; Finally, Arnold Schwarzenegger. I’m a big fan, plus I’ve always wanted to see
I’d like to smoke a cigar with the following people: Albert Einstein has to be very witty; My father, because I never had a chance to smoke a cigar with him; Samuel Clemmons, aka Mark Twain, took his pseudonym - the river man’s term for water “two fathoms deep.” Anyone who smoked cigars and wrote “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” (1865) just has to be very interesting. – Peter Donley’s cigar buddies
I would love to smoke a cigar with Jesus, Padre Pio, Jack Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Jim Bayard.
I would love to ask Jesus where I went wrong and what I could do to make up for my sins before I die. From Padre Pio, I’d love to know what it was like to be a saint in the middle of modern times and to be chosen by God. With Jack Kennedy I’d like to say thank you and let him know he didn’t die in vein. To Martin Luther King I would like to ask him if he is satisfied with the results generated from his life and is there anything we can do to help in making things right. To Jim Bayard I would like to let him know that he gave me the greatest lesson in life… Prepare your path daily, prepare your soul through prayer, prepare for your death in truth… eternal life is yours. Jim was my friend and he died of leukemia in December of 2002. – John McCracken’s cigar buddies
My four people to share a cigar includes Winston Churchill, the great statesman and cigar smoker, to discuss history being made; Mark Twain, a very interesting fellow that always tried to fool his friends on blind cigar tasting (they were cigar snobs); Tiger Woods, so that I could pick up some pointers for my son's golf game; Socrates- to discuss philosophy; J.F. Kennedy- to discuss his rise to power and politics. – Dave L.’s cigar buddies
Four famous people that I want to get to know better include: Lee Marvin is actually the first person I thought of because I believe that he seems like a natural for a poster of Cigar smoking. Marcus Garvey because he had a vision; I would like to know what he was thinking during his time. Winston Churchill, he orchestrated the thinking to save the democratic way of life. Nelson Mandela, what the hell was he thinking during all those years in prison, and how he was able to come out thinking so pragmatic. – Randy Ervin’s cigar buddies
If I had to seriously pick some people to smoke cigars with...well...how about these? William Shakespeare, Hernando
My five people to share a cigar with and some interesting conversations with are: Mark Twain, George Burns, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill and Sophia Loren - Al D.‘s cigar buddies
I would like to smoke a cigar with Alyssa Milano, after the making of a beer commercial. - Aaron Lee
My four people to share a cigar with... Why limit it to four? I'll take a day of comradely manhood at the “Loft” over any four imaginary people anyway! OK, OK – here’s my four people: Mark Twain, Socrates, Heff, and the star of life's pageantry, Pring! Twain is a perfect stogie conversation; Socrates adds his timeless input; Heff is just the MAN plain and simple; and Pring... Pring is what happens to all of us at different points in our lives. - Jamie M.’s cigar buddies
FDR, just to discover what makes a man like that “tick”; Lefty Kreh, to hear his “back in the day…” fishing stories; Hugh Hefner because he always has five or six playmates with him! – Eric Sheffield’s cigar buddies
All four of the men that I would like to smoke a cigar with were self-directed leaders through strength and courage, without regard to prevailing public opinion. They are: Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, Joe Namath and Carlo Gambino - Dean G.’s cigar buddies
My cigar smoking choices would be: First) I would like to meet either of my two grandfathers, In that I was never given the chance to meet either one due to their unfortunate departure from this would before I was born, I would love to have the opportunity to meet either one and ask them about the male side of my family. Next, Lewis and/or Clark; I think it would be fascinating to talk to a person(s) who was an early explorer and to have a chat about what it must have been like to see something for the first time (i.e. wild life, mountain ranges, rivers etc., I can only imagine what that must have been like. Lastly, Bill Gates, I think it would be interesting to talk with a man who had so much money that even if he wanted to probable couldn’t spend all of it in his lifetime. I could offer him some personal suggestions on how he could better improve my life with the contribution of some money to my personal bank account. - Eric A.’s cigar buddies
Four people that I'd like to smoke a cigar with are Sigmund Freud to pick his brain, see how much cocaine he did, and find if he really believed all the stuff he theorized or if it was just a ploy to get laid a lot; JFK- talk about women, who he thought really wanted him dead, and mooch some good Cubans off of him; Dennis Hopper he's such a freak...and I can mooch some good Cubans off of him; Joe Pesci he’s just cool – Russ’s cigar buddies
My “four people list” would include, Winston Churchill- An incredible human being with great interpersonal strength and character, and a famous cigar smoker; George Burns- A great comedian who would surely make it a hugely entertaining occasion, and a famous cigar smoker; Condoleezza Rice- A person of great intellect, savvy, and personal integrity, who could conceivably become the first woman, and the first person of color, to become President of the United States; My Dad: No explanation needed. – DL’s cigar buddies
I would like to smoke a cigar with the following people: Chuck Yeager, to hear the stories. Stephen Hawking, Ghandi, Leonardo da Vinci, Jesus Christ, to find out what really was going on; Buddha, to get his opinion; John Balfour, my great grandfather, to get to know a bit more about my family history. - Ty F.’s cigar buddies
Here’s my take on four people to smoke a cigar with: Carlos Santana, I love his music and would like to know where the inspiration came from for his latest CD; George Mattison, my brother in-law. He is a great guy and needs a break from his newly acquired responsibilities; Demi Moore, I know she smokes cigars and I love to watch a sexy woman smoke a Churchill; Willie Walker, he's a long time friend (30 years), and they are hard to come by. - Richard G.’s cigar buddies
I’d like to smoke a cigar and sit down with my hero, Hugh Hefner (he can bring along a few ‘friends’), John Wayne would have great perspective, plus Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra of ‘Rat Pack’ fame and of course, Bobby Hull for the great hockey stories! - Mike W.’s cigar buddies
Ernest Hemingway, Teddy Roosevelt, Sir Edmund Hillary, Carl Jung and Albert Einstein – Great conversation and none take themselves too seriously – all adventurous souls. – Jim Coughlin
Heff – Do I really need to explain? Winston Churchill – Opinionated strong willed Brit - two peas in a pod, eh? Except for the Brit part at least. Cleopatra – I’d hit it! Anybody at the Loft! – Best camaraderie around! - Jamie M.’s cigar buddies
Wow! I would like to smoke a cigar with U.S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, George Patton, Erwin Rommel, and my dad. Nothing better than having a relaxing smoke with a bunch of egocentric, type-A military strategists trying to out-general each other! – Michael B.’s cigar buddies
I’d like to sit down with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Davis, Arturo Fuente and Mr. Dunhill as the conversation would be as good as the cigars! - Charles Valenzuela’s cigar buddies
President Kennedy, Humphrey Bogart & Marilyn Monroe - Ted M.’s cigar buddies
Now, how about you? Email me your candidates and I just might do a follow up blog!
billballew@yahoo.com
