ClubStogie: an Essay

[ambientboy]

We were in the chat room this evening discussing the writing of papers and those who enjoy it as well as those who loathe it. I was reminded that I have spent far too long between essays and was encouraged to write one on the room's dialog. So, allow me to share with you my most recent introduction to the subculture of cigar smoking:







There was a time when I assumed smoking cigars was a snobbish frivolity enjoyed by the rich. Men that hole up in their country club on leather furniture with thousand-dollar buy-in card games, pilfering away their stash of rare island tobacco not legal in the States, were what came to mind when I heard the word "cigar." I see now this is simply a glorified dream in which I would like to partake someday.

To tell the truth, cigar smokers are everywhere. They are the normal blue collars, the high up white collars, and the people who wear no collars at all. Nearly impossible to narrow down enough similarities to classify the cigar smoker, they cannot be placed into columns and quantified. They are truly everywhere. A friend of mine introduced me to ClubStogie.com, an internet forum for cigar smokers who share their tobacco experiences along with every other little detail of their collective lives. Members are able to post cigar reviews, comment on other posts, hold contests, and dialog in the chat room. Screen names are chosen, personal profiles are filled out, and the good times roll.

The beauty of the Jungle (as it is referred to with a smile), is the extreme diversity of the members. Cigar smokers the world over commune there and enjoy the company of people who look for the same pleasure in (most often) quality cigars. China, Japan, India, England, Canada, USA, and Australia are just a few of the countries represented in our not-so-little community. These men and women cover every possible field of occupation, from musicians to CEOs to troops in the Middle East. Democrats and Republicans interchange friendly words while skaters and businessman discuss new tobacco bills being passed and the crackdown on public smoking. The one thing that bonds every one of these several thousand members together is the leaf. BOTLs/SOTLs (Brothers/Sisters of the Leaf ) share a special relationship.

The biggest surprise of this guild is not the comradery amongst diversity, albeit it a joyous one to find, but rather the wildly philanthropic mentality of nearly every single BOTL. Rarely is it considered uncommon for one member to mention he has yet to try a particular brand and another member to pull out that very cigar and hand it to the first, expecting nothing in return. Money never seems to be an issue. The cigar in question could be a vintage, rare, and ridiculously expensive cigar, and still no strings are attached. This is the true Pay It Forward mentality.

Taking the PIF mentality still further is the "bomb." When a member is found to be popular, honorable, and heavily invested in the forum, several other members like to "gang up" on the aforementioned individual and ship many many cigars to him/her. There is a humor behind the hit because, while we all look forward to an unexpected package, the connotations are highly negative (though completely tongue-in-cheek). For instance,

"So did you hear that Conch is short on Opus?"
"No! Did you get his address?"
"HA! Sure did. That boy's gonna paaaaay."
"Yeah, we're going to hit him HARD."

And sooner or later, Conch (Mark) will find multiple packages loaded with premium cigars sent to his abode simply because he made a brief mention in a chat room that he was waiting for a new Opus shipment to arrive at his local cigar shop.

The well-seasoned B(S)OTLs do well to keep their addresses as secret as possible to avoid a constant barrage of packages. Nothing is ever expected in return for the vast array of smokes received, but occasionally, a war will rage as two members bomb each other consecutively as they go to the mattresses until one of the two simply gives up and is bested by the other.

On Club Stogie, seeking out a bomb, or trying to get bombed is considered bad form. This is called "fishing," a motion highly frowned upon. The hits are filled with respect and admiration. Looking for free cigars is just an insult to the generous nature and integrity of the community. Again, the PIF attitude shows here. Those who stock up to send bombs know that sooner or later they will be the target of someone else's hit.

There is a thrill when many members get together in person to smoke and share quality time in the flesh. Putting faces to screen names, histories and memories to online images and text, and passing around the best of cigars is what we like to call a true herf.

In conclusion, I have enjoyed my time among the gorillas, learning new ways of life, and new math, with an emphasis on community gatherings and generosity. We collect life's knowledge and share what we've learned with others, asking questions of the wise, and spending every second cherishing our common obsession of a precious, revered smoking experience.

[dwhitacre]

[SIZE="5"]Well said!!![/SIZE]

[SilverFox]

[SIZE=3]Very well said, CS is one of those strange places that you just can't quite figure out and some where along the lines stop trying and just go with the flow.[/SIZE]

[ahbroody]

most excellent

[drhalle]

Very nice. I enjoyed this essay as it spoke so many truths of CS.

[Little General]

Well done!

[dccraft]

This is why I joined this fine group.

[drunkensailor]

WOW! very well said.

[JordanWexler]

Well done!

[Bax]

Nice work!... and what was Conch's addy again?

[freakygar]

Man that was a great read. Thanks for taking the time.


Mark is out of Opus?!?!?!
I thought Conch has his own Opus delivery truck? Him running out is his own fault. He should be able to do the math:
3 a day times X days + 20% for gorilla fluctuation = y Opus.
Just poor planing on his part.

Al

[Trajan]

I'm pretty impressed with this community and I am glad I found it so early on going down the slope.

One of the things that endears a noob to this group is the awe and respect members have toward what they've built here.

You guys are something else and I think you know it.

[Kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Trajan

I'm pretty impressed with this community and I am glad I found it so early on going down the slope.

One of the things that endears a noob to this group is the awe and respect members have toward what they've built here.

You guys are something else and I think you know it.

Hell yeah! Definitely, after a few weeks this place is great. Some new friends, a lot of respect for everyone here, and a lot of great information!

To any noob who wants to get to know people better, I recommend getting into the chatroom--- with the 1 stipulation that you [SIZE=4]Watch what you say!!! [/SIZE][SIZE=1]Some of these guys are just vicious![/SIZE]

[KnuckleDragger]

Being one of the essay haters... thank you for putting into words what I couldn't. ~KD

[Troop_lee]

Nice essay! Good job!