A cigar is a sort of thing, not exactly a pleasure, but the crown and outward sign of pleasure. – Leo Tolstoy

Maybe he was on to something. Maybe not. Depending on the cigar in hand, it may be a pleasure or simply a symptom of pleasure.

So why smoke?

For me it started on the back porch of a cabana in Belize with a mission team at the end of the trip. After a long day of debriefing, cigars and rum were dispersed to those who wanted them, and I smoked my first “big boy” cigar–a Cuban Monte Cristo. That’s all I remember.

But it was good.

I tried my hand at a few others, not really knowing what I was doing. Then I attended a men’s retreat. My own assumption was that it was be like every other retreat I had attended. No alcohol. No smokes. And I wasn’t really concerned about it.

But then they announced they were selling cigars for $5 a piece. I don’t recall what they were in name. They were decent, and over the course of the weekend I indulged in a few while around campfires with other men.

There is something about sitting around with other guys smoking a cigar and just talking about what you believe, what your values are, making the occasional off-color joke, and knowing that it’s okay enjoy this. It’s a lot like the community aspect of the church.

That’s where the idea for this blog and podcast came from. I am always looking for ways to gather men together to build friendships and sharpen one another. Why not include a smoke and a stiff drink?

My hope is that you will go look me up on Spotify or some other podcast outlet and listen. I and my friends review cigars and review the important things in life. I’m looking forward to the growth and the friendships that will be forged and strengthened and the lives that will hopefully be improved by this simple thing. Smoke ’em if you got ’em.

J