The best $10 I ever spent at sea

 was for a can of Top rolling tobacco, 400 cigarette papers and a little hand roller. It was a few years ago and the can is still in the generator room and about half full.

It's still there in case it's needed. I suppose the tobacco is pretty dried out but a small slice of apple dropped into it would likely freshen it up a bit.

I think the last time anyone dipped into it was about a year ago and that was a guy that had run out of smokes an hour before we were relieved to go home.

The story behind it is that I had gotten called in a few days early to relieve my mirror because he had something come up and there was a checkout on board that wasnot being hired. He didn't fit in because he couldn't take care of himself.

Of course, he was a heavy smoker and of course he had almost run out and of course he was broke and so on.

Anyway, it took me about ten seconds to figure out which way this was heading. I simply handed a $20 to a shoreside inspector and told him to snag a can of Top, some papers and a roller. He did and handed me my goods and $10 in change.

I took the man aside and told him that he was not to bum from anyone and that if he needed a smake he could damned well roll his own with the Top I had bought.

He was grateful and after he was put ashore one of the guys asked why I had done this.

I told him that for ten bucks the peace was worth it because I didn't want to watch the cycle of bumming to begging to stealing to fighting take place.

The guy that had questioned me told me that he understood and asked me why I had not just simply laid the law down.

Truth is that when you are dealing with addicts they are only interested in feeding a habit and the liklihood of obeying an order to stay away from a supply of whatever isn't likely to be obeyed. The guy was leaving and we'd be done with him.

Sometimes it is a lot wiser not to have to bring out the whip in the first place, especially when you are talking about using it on someone that has nothing left to lose.

Besides because it was my tobacco I had control of the man. All I had to do was threaten to take it away which is what the government does to keep the people taking government money in line.




To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY