The most memorable moment that comes to mind is a scene I witnessed when I was in high school outside a local mall in the late 70s or early 80s. It wasn't a really big mall, but it was an indoor mall... and back then, of course, you could smoke in all the malls.

There were two young girls... maybe 12 or 13 years old. They were outside the mall... standing, and one of them was very meticulously opening a pack of cigarettes, and the other had a cigarette lighter. Unfortunately, I wasn't close enough to see what brand of cigarettes they had... Naturally, their activities perked my eyes into an instant hypnotic lock...

Finally, the girl opening the pack of cigarettes got it open... it was a soft pack, which were more common at the time. (I'm not even sure they had hard packs then) Then... what happened next I'll never forget...

The two girls each took a cigarette from the pack of cigarettes and then they started a 1-2-3 countdown. They motioned both with their hands and their upper bodies this 1-2-3 countdown... and then the girl with the lighter lit the lighter and they each lighted their cigarettes...

I have to admit, perhaps particularly embarrassing considering the times we live in, and the common attitudes about cigarettes and smoking today... but, I was going absolutely crazy... I thought I was going to explode.

I think what was so exciting is that it appeared that it was the very first cigarette for each of these girls. I know it sounds kinda... well, something perhaps indelicate... but, I've always felt that smoking your first cigarette is kinda like having sex for the first time.

For several weeks after that, I was extremely aroused... in a sexual sense.

I know that the first few cigarettes I smoked were probably the most significant emotional experiences of my entire life. There's nothing that really compares to buying and smoking your first few cigarettes.