The Art of Patience

Earlier today, I had one of the more enjoyable smokes I've yet experienced. Since I had smoked my briar on Thursday, I decided to take my cob instead. My cob is sort of my travel pipe, if you will. I don't have to worry about breaking it, the maintenance is pretty low, and it holds better in my mouth. So, I packed a bowl of 24 Karat, a blend that I got at a new tobacconist I found about 8 miles from school. I had previously been unimpressed by this blend, as was the case with my other aromatic blends. But, after doing some reading and thinking about my smoking technique, I realised that I was drawing on the pipe too hard and smoking too fast. I had actually been recording some video while smoking my briar on Thursday, and as I was playing the footage back, I noticed that whenever I puffed on my pipe, there was an audible sucking/whistling sound. This didn't seem to be quite right. So, while smoking my cob, I tried making my draws slower and steadier, making sure that I was drawing quietly. Overall, the smoke was much better. I got through the bowl without any significant tongue bite, which is more or less a first, and I could detect small hints of flavour in the smoke.

This is why pipe smoking is known as "the art of patience." Finding a tobacco you enjoy? It takes patience. Packing the pipe? That takes patience. Lighting the pipe? Patience. Smoking the pipe. Yeah. Patience. Cleaning the pipe? Do I even have to say it? The whole affair is one big process, but that's part of it. When you smoke a cigar, you're basically paying someone else to prepare that perfect smoke for you. But with a pipe, the quality of the smoke and your enjoyment of the experience is entirely reliant upon your smoking technique and the way that you use your pipe. Personally, I find my pipe to be a rather relaxing ritual. I'll go outside, find a suitable place to sit, and then I'll enjoy a bowl of tobacco. I've found that smoking my pipe is very conducive to reading. I tend to get distracted easily, especially when I'm reading something I don't want to be reading. But when I'm having a smoke, there really aren't any distractions to take my mind off of my book. Pipe smoking has often been associated with the sophisticated, intellectual man, and it seems to me that there is good reason for this.

All told, I am enjoying this new hobby of mine.