It’s The Right Time To Say This?
I think now is a pertinent time to make a point about the cigar world.
I’ve been mulling it over in my mind for a while now and, considering all we’ve been through over the last couple of years or so, now feels like a good time to address it.
If you follow the news, you could be forgiven for thinking that the world is pulling itself apart; huge divisions wherever you look; no seeming tolerance for another point of view and a world, that at times, seems simply devoid of basic human kindness.
The cigar world has always been the opposite of this for me.
At a time in my life when things weren’t going well and I didn’t know where to turn, the cigar world appeared like a beacon out of the darkness to guide me. That sounds melodramatic or poetic licence, but all I can say is that I promise you, it’s the absolute truth.
The ‘cigar world’ – and by that term, I mean the people who populate it, like shop and lounge owners, cigar makers and those who enjoy them – was like a warm bath to me after coming in out of a snowstorm.
The hard edges of the rest of the world; the greed, duplicity, callousness and inconsideration one occasionally encounters were conspicuous by their absence when I stepped into cigar world. And now I have spent many years from within it, I can tell you that this was no mere beginner’s illusion, seen through rose-tinted spectacles.
The vast majority of cigar people, as I state in Around The World in 80 Cigars, are simply great people. They are kind, generous and thoughtful. They work in extended familial groups and treat competitors like dear friends. This is unusual.
They exchange unusual and very often expensive gifts with their cigar friends, expecting nothing in return. And when they meet a new fellow cigar lover, they come to the acquaintance with no preconceptions.
What this means is that we don’t care what your skin colour is, or what music you like, or whether you like men, women, or anything in between; we are not interested in your political leaning, nor expect you to validate ours. We respect your choices and expect you to do the same. And we try to create the kind of community we should all be proud of.
On the whole, the cigar industry expresses this better than any I’ve ever seen. But I’ve been moved to raise the point because I am worried that in recent times this beautiful part of cigar smoking may have been overlooked.
Some cigar smokers (largely, but not exclusively, younger folk) have brought the outside world in with them without realising they should have checked it at the door. They bring petty disputes over brands, sizes, countries and one upmanship in the form of an endless procession of glossy, ego-driven ‘look at me’ Instagram images. They use the rise of the online event and cheap internet publishing to promote themselves without a moment’s dedication to either the cigar, or learning about its subtle art beyond trying to think up the most adjectives to describe a particular smoke.
They are missing the point. Of course, we like cigars because, well, we just like cigars. But we also like cigars – and for me, this is the greater attraction than the sticks themselves – because of the people we meet and become entwined with.
We should be rightfully proud of the cigar community – and equally determined to uphold its unwritten constitution of friendship, consideration, respect, kindness and tolerance. After all, the reason this community is so great is because of those who’ve gone before us. I, for one, am determined it shall not be undermined under my watch.
Long Ashes.
Nick.
Nick Hammond, author, podcast host, avid cigar lover and communicator
You can also find our interview with Nick at the Light ‘em Up Lounge here.
