Selfless

One of the millions of things we love about cigars is that they’re there for you – no matter what.

Like the faithful hound that is always pleased to see its Master, the trusty cigar passes no judgment.

It won’t refuse to light because you ballsed up the quarterly sales figures at work today. Neither will it explode in bitter, villainous recrimination because you weren’t as supportive to a pal as you perhaps might have been.

No, if you’re at the top of the mountain, singing lustily to the minions below; or you’re lower than a snake’s belly and don’t know where to turn for a bit of good fortune – your cigar will offer itself selflessly on your behalf.

When you’re on a high, the lighting up of a good smoke is a wonderful punctuation to mark the fact; it’s no coincidence that some of the biggest occasions in human existence are traditionally associated with cigars; the birth of a child or a friend’s wedding for example.

These are joyous occasions and a box of good cigars will usually be welcomed like a well-seared steak at a butcher’s convention; you’ll be surprised at how many suddenly reach for a cigar when the opportunity arises.

But a cigar can be an equally rewarding moment at a traumatic time, too; remembering a friend or relative’s love of a good cigar by firing up your own is a tribute you know they’d have fully appreciated.

If you don’t get that job you were after, you can always console yourself with a contemplative smoke. Life is sometimes hard and we’ve all experienced its ups and downs. The ability to put things in perspective; to realise that nothing lasts for ever; that good times are just around the corner; and that even if the immediate future looks bleak, to be thankful for what we’ve got – all of these thoughts and feelings can be given a proper airing over a good cigar.

A cigar brings you down to earth and sidesteps ego. Somehow, the campfire quality of taking time to perform the cigar ritual enforces a calmer, more tolerant perspective. Have you noticed how people gathered around a campfire at night will talk in hushed tones and become entranced by the flickering flames? Something similar occurs with cigar people.

So, make the most of the opportunities you have, and whether they go the way you wanted them to or not, enjoy the ride with a cigar to smooth the passage. A good day is better with a cigar. And so is a bad one.

Pop along to Sautter and replenish your humidor.