When I was in High School I had the occasion to go on a road trip with my best friend Cathie. Cathie's Mom drove, it was a car full, Cindy (Cathie's sister) and Cathie's Grandparents were along. I think we went to Duluth. Somewhere along the way home we stopped at a little store and got some gum. Cathie's Grandpa bought some Chewing Tobacco, mint flavored. I had seen chewing tobacco before, but not the mint flavored variety. I asked Cathie's Grandpa about it, did it taste different? He offered it to us with a twinkle in his eye. I tried a little pinch, I stuck it between my gum and my lip. I started to salivate, saliva was running unchecked out both sides of my mouth, my lip and gum began to burn, I used up all the Kleenex in my pocket to rid myself of the offending plug of tobacco. I finally had to swallow, yuk, my stomach was so upset. My whole body shuddered and I felt like I would vomit. I am sure I was turning green. Cathie's Grandpa just kept smiling..you see he was stuck in the back seat with two teenage giggling girls, and had found a way to shut us up. Well me anyway, I do not remember if Cathie ever tried a minty chew that day or not. It was my first and last personal encounter with mint flavored chewing tobacco:) 
Cindy, Me, Cathie, and Carolyn..1967.. I think we were practicing some cheers. None of us ever made it past the just practicing level!
That would have been enough to put me off ALL tobacco... I ate a cigarette and that did the trick!!
ReplyDeleteConnie, That's too funny! That reminds me of a time when my husband was complaining about his sinus being stopped up. My friend brought out some kind of mint oil and she told him to rub it around the bridge of his nose and under his eyes. He did and his eyes immediately closed from the vapors and he had tears pooring out and his nose was fiercely running. He could not open his eyes for about an hour. He looked like he was sobbing uncontrolably! All this while she sat their laughing saying, "that's never happened to me." When her husband came home he said, "Dang Linda! Is that the same stuff you poured down the crack of my butt?" Linda said, "oops!" Apparently her husband had strained his back once and she was rubbing it on his lower back and spilled it. He said it rolled down his crack and lit his bottom up! The more he tried to wipe it off the hotter it got! That was about 18 years ago and we are able to laugh about it today...but not then!
ReplyDelete1967! Ahhhh That is the year I graduated from High SCHOOL and Got Married! Your photo was like looking at myself!
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
Yucky!! A friend of mine did the same thing when we were in high school. I don't think it was the minty kind but she sure had the same reaction you did:))))
ReplyDeleteI can just see that evil smile on grandpa's face!
ReplyDeleteConnie, what fun times they were ..
ReplyDeleteSeeing that photo... is just like it was in my teens. Us girls all tried to smoke but never liked it..chewing tobacco..No, not for me!
But it's great to look back and have a laugh about it now..
Julia ♥
That's a funny story!
ReplyDeleteoh, man, this is so vivid that i'm not sure if i had the same experience, or if yours is so realistic that i just think i did. wow.
ReplyDeleteThat was not what I was expecting when I read "minty chew." I was thinking of some kind of delicious candy. You spoiled my appetite, but made me smile nonetheless. :)
ReplyDeleteHow funny. My Aunt Ease who passed away at Easter told a similar story. She always said that was why she never took up smoking.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder of my favorite aunt!
LOL! I tried it once too! Cowboy's...years ago and couldn't get it out of my mouth fast enough! YUK!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, my dad had me try it once. Talk about feeling green. I had the hiccups for hours after that!
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