I started smoking cigarettes around age 20. It was during the summer b4 3rd year of college. I had also just started smoking weed regularly (aka daily) and a friend told me smoking cigs would extend and intensify the weed high. I was at The University of Chicago - an insanely white school (we were 4%). And I was running with a crew of white, Asian, Latinx folks. I was their Black friend. Anyway they smoked Marlboro reds and Parliaments. I bummed off them. I preferred the Reds so I bought some. But then someone had a Marlboro Medium and that was even better. So I smoked those all summer long. Somewhere during winter I was at a party and some white kid bummed a Medium from me and said with surprise, "I thought Black ppl smoke Newports?" And at that moment everything stopped and I recalled that my mom, uncle, and 3 aunts do indeed smoke menthols. And when I had bummed menthols from any of the black homies I did like them. So I laughed at the white kid's 'joke'. And yup I bought a pack of Newports. They were the bomb! Especially with weed. Or LSD. Or shrooms. And, white kids didn't like them so I gave away fewer smokes. It was a win-win. Except I coughed up blood that one time. So I switched to Newport Lights. But then my throat hurt. And by then it was 4th year and my roommate smoked Camel Lights. So did the theatre geeks I hung with bc I was heavily involved with the school's theatre program (note: I have never smoked more than half a pack per day and this was the peak). I liked 'em. That was 1997. I have a pack of Camel Lights on me right now. I have flirted with P-Funks (Parliaments/Lights) but I always come home to Camel Lights.

The guy I'm seeing smokes Marlboro Lights. It was nearly a dealbreaker. But he pretty and carries a monster in his jeans so I deal. But I used to judge the shit out of guys who smoke those. Lol