Cigars Are For Women, Too

Tobacco Shop on Main Street, Disneyland

My first memory of the sweet aroma of tobacco is not from watching my abuelito smoke on the front porch, or even from a special occasion like the birth or wedding of a relative. Although my first memory is from childhood, it was in fact at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. I know this sounds strange, but it's true. If you were a regular to Disneyland prior to 1991, then you were familiar with the Tobacco Shop on Main Street where you could buy “tobacco and smoking accessories from around the world.”

After the Disneyland Tobacco Shop closed in 1991, I did not encounter anything tobacco until I was in college in the late 90s, where like many students, I tried smoking cigarettes for the first time in my life. Fortunately, the habit did not stick, although I did enjoy the scent of cloves. And cigars - well, who in the world smoked cigars? Older men in expensive suits making deals in secret offices? Pre-embargo revolutionary Cubans? George Burns? Certainly not women, and certainly not me. The smell of most cigars reminded me of exhaust fumes.

Then one day, I discovered what a really good cigar was supposed to taste like. I didn't realize that most of the cigars I'd encountered throughout my life were the cheapo "It's A Boy/Girl" variety. A truly good, quality cigar is sweet, smooth, and delicious - much like the smell of the tobacco from Main Street, Disneyland. It is something you can enjoy on a tranquil and mild spring day on your back porch. It doesn't even bother a slight asthmatic like me, because it's less about inhaling the smoke and more about the subtle taste.

Smoking a Cigar on the Back Porch