I was thinking this over while having a great little cigar this morning and I was trying to decide.

Is it that the cigar was great or was it that the little slice of time I had that I was able to have to myself and all the world clicked to make the cigar great.

Don't get me wrong I am sure had it sucked or had draw problems that it would not have been the same experience but once in a while I get a little philosophical about things and while loving my smoke it got me to thinking.

In this day and age everything is about better, more, faster etc. How can we do more in a day, how can we squeeze more efficiency out of these people/machines etc. How can I get to work faster, how can I make my computer faster. How come the pizza guy can't get here faster.

So when I sit down for my cigar, it is never about faster or more or any of those things. It is about taking that slice of time for me and only me. Sometimes we share our space with our friends when smoking a cigar but it is still that time for yourself. Sitting back and listening to the world without any concerns for that hour or so and enjoying something that you are passionate about. I suspect that is the case with a lot of different passions or hobbys, that time away from the rest of the crap that the world has going on and decompressing.

I found it interesting to think about it;

Would the cigar have been as good had my frame of mind when smoking it not been what it was?

Would the time and my frame of mind been as good if the cigar had not been "on"?

Sometimes the universe lines up just right to give you what you need. Apparently today was my day and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Now off I go to rush the son to swimming, to rush the other to gymnastics, to rush back and get dinner going...........but today I will do it with a smile.
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Having only been partaking of the leaf regularly for the last couple of years I believe that it is a bit of both. For sure it is important to block out a little "me" time to decompress (as I call it) and to get my head screwed back on straight. Also impotant is the quality of the smoke I am enjoying. It doesn't need to be a world-class stick, it simply needs to be one that I enjoy.

Put these two together.......:-)
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A little of both, I would guess Shawn...a little of both. :-)
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Sometimes. But always. :-)
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:-) A good cigar can improve a bad time, but not completely. A bad cigar can ruin a good time, but not completely.
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Great post Shawn, I am with the big guy here, a bit of both but there is nothing like a good relaxing evening to enjoy a cigar. I love smoking with good friends who appreciate the leaf as well. Nothing like it.
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I Really Think The Relaxation & Relief From Stress Is The Most Important Part, But A Great Smoke Makes It Perfect!:-)
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Even if I've had a bad day, I try not to let it affect my cigar. I take a deep breath, count to ten, think "ommmmmmmmm", whatever, then do my best to enjoy my smoke. It usually works. And I never let a bad cigar ruin a good day - life's too short, and I have others.

Yet when the stars align, it is special.
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This works for me with Scotch and other things too.

Sometimes a good cigar can make a blah day better. Sometimes a good day can make a blah cigar better. Sometimes a really bad day or cigar will ruin the other. And then there are the times when the stars align and all is just perfect with the world.

Those are the moments that we keep trying to recreate in our lives.:-)
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There are times in my life that quite frankly, stink. I find during these hard times that a beer in my hand and (or) a cigar make everything better.
My thinking is that if I'm drinking a beer or smoking a cigar life can't be really that bad.

I must confess that I keep a box or two of Te-Amo Robustos to smoke when I need to be reminded that life is good even in the worst of times.
I think that the stinky barnyard smell makes me think that "Hey, this isn't the worst cigar!" and I take comfort knowing that I can smoke better cigars. Same with beer. I'll buy a case of some really cheap beer and I love it. My wife wonders why I do this, I tell her it reminds me that this beer was fantastic when I was a poor college kid, and it still tastes pretty good.

So, after all that long-winded stuff, yes, a cigar good or bad can be great.
I mean how bad can life be if you're smoking a cigar? I'd argue that a cigar in times of stress is better than one smoked in perfect circumstances. Cigars relax us and make the world a better place. It doesn't matter the quality of the cigar, it's the enjoyment of the act itself.

Like pizza and sex, a cigar even if not great, is still good.:-)
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A little of both, but having great company I find greatly improves my smoking experience even it the the smoke was sub par.
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Both, Shawn:-)
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Definitely both!
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Good thought provoking questions. I know for me cigars are something that give me a break from the stress. Expectations have alot to do with our perceptions and when I think about cigars,,,,I think stress relief. I enjoy them with friends or by myself but as I said before when you associate positive things with things you enjoy it sure helps. Imagine being so hungry that you miss the flavor of a 2 inch thick Rib Eye steak or being so thirsty that when sitting down to have a good wine or drink that you miss those flavors of the drink.
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I think cigars are much like wine in this regard.

Ambience, for lack of a better word, has everything to do with it. Ignoring the variables related to bottle/stick variation, I truly believe the setting, my mood, my company (or lack thereof), has everything to do with how much I enjoy the wine/cigar.

"Sometimes the universe lines up just right to give you what you need. Apparently today was my day and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it."

Savor every moment, Shawn. Life is too short to do otherwise.

:-)
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:-). Did you by that cigar a a B&M or an online warehouse? :-)
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:-)

"A $3 cigar enjoyed in the company of priceless friends is far better than a priceless cigar enjoyed in the company of $3 ’friends’"
--me circa sometime about two years ago in moment of poetic deviance.
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I have often wondered something similar. I know I don't get to smoke with friends very often but when I do I always pick the best stick out of the humi regardless which one I grab to smoke.

But to answer your question Shawn it is a combination of the cigar and the fact your taking time out to relax and smoke it. Being able to slow life down for a few minutes and just step into the time that it is just you and the cigar is awesome.

That's why herfing is so awesome for me because everyone there is all relaxing from life together.
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I can enjoy a cigar while driving, or even on trips in hotels, but for me as long as the cigar is smokable I prefer to smoke in my yard. I dig the trees, sky, sounds and sights that I see everyday when smoking.

That, and I can usually enjoy a scotch with the cigar MUCH more often than while driving!

:-)
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I like to slow down and feel the earth spin when I smoke cigars. The break from the ordinary is an important part of it for me.
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