my mother died of lung cancer when i was ten years old. she knew it was lung cancer, she told my older brother, eventhough she was told by my father and the doctors that she had some kind of 'fungus' . i remember the bureau drawer in the front hall that had cartons of cigarettes - parliment cigarettes, and chesterfields and lucky strikes (in dark green packages - before white was 'cleaner', more healthy) oh, we'd occasionally smoke some 'coffin nails' in our hideout... ha, ha , ha.... i remember six months before she died we would help mum with the small oxygen tank that had been adapted to a little rig with wheels, so she could move about, a little.at 'prep' school it was cool to smoke out on the steps of the 'commons' but since i was still into varsity athletics, smoking was not really something i did until i was in the army. "at ease! soldier... smoke if you got 'em". oh yes, cartons of pall malls from the PX. $2.50 a carton. those red packs and long cigarettes. after 9, 11.... even 17 puffs... pall malls satisfy. or something. perhaps they were 'better'.... i don't recall. but that was 45 years ago..... (continued)

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