A Problem

[Teja.]

'ello folks, a certain issue has been causing no small amount of confusion over the last few days.

Essentially, I walk for quite a while everyday in short 30 min or so periods at, what I thought, were largely random times. I've come to spend the month at home for the college vacation. It has come to my notice that there are suspicions in the family that these are 'smoke breaks'. This is a major WTF afaic as I certainly don't have the habit.

I woke up the other day at a fairly normal time like 7:30 am and decided first thing that I'm gonna go for a walk and announced at the breakfast table my intention of doing so and was met with looks of, to my eye - and perhaps I'm over-thinking - slight disappointment. My brother(who is also on vacation) confronts me later and says "At least make it less blatant man, You're going out for short periods after waking up and after every meal and eating less" - This combined with my weight-loss of about 10 kg in the last 4 months - apparently has led to the suspicions.

I'm staying right now in a house with extended family who are highly conservative in nature and frown upon such a habit. However I reckon, any effort on my part to overtly confront the issue without being provided with the proposition of argument to do so will most likely be seen as a "Why is he even thinking it if he doesn't do it"scenario. I explained to my brother quite clearly that I'm not smoking now but I can't even use his inquiry as the base to tell the 'rents and the grandparents due to him objecting to it and the above italicized reason.

How do I go about making it clear that I don't smoke without preferably going out and stating it. Have to do it soon as a couple of younger cousins today ribbed me about my 'new habits' and it's pissing me off no end.

FTR, This familial attitudinal scenario might seem completely ridiculous to a non-SC person and I apologize if I make it look like smoking is anything 'wrong' - for the lack of a better word - in the post. I'm just portraying the typical Indian conservative family's attitude towards smoking, not mine.

You might ask why I care so much about being labelled as a smoker as if it's a big negative tag. The answer is, unfortunately perhaps, My family will look at me with severe disappointment if they consider me one and I want to make it clear that I certainly am not smoking.

[G.I.Joe]

If they don't smell smoke or mints on you, they have no case.

[KiWiNiNjA]

Tell them you don't smoke, if they don't believe you that's their problem.

[Agent Nationaux]

My parents are the same. Get suspicious over small things.

Edit: Agree with Kiwininja, just tell them you don't do it. Why put up with all the looks, gossip and prolong the situation.

[Turbinator]

Just stop smoking.

[cpr]

I'd say best way to clear the theory is offer them the chance to accompany you on the walks.

Or at an extreme, not go for a walk for 4 days, and show them your not climbing the walls from tobacco withdrawl.

[G.I.Joe]

Originally Posted by Turbinator

Just stop smoking.

This guy is a smart cookie. He's onto you, Teja

[Turbinator]

Haha, on a more serious note, why dont you start going for runs instead. Walks are for old couples. Deck yourself out in some run gear (nike, new balance, etc.) and hit the road.

[Top_Cat]

Don't protest or argue the point, I reckon. As you said, just makes you look more guilty and will further establish in their minds that you're smoking, especially in the absence of objective proof. If you get directly confronted, say you don't do it and if they don't believe you, too bad.

Objective proof would help, though. When I was a teen, my Mum was really quite crazy about making sure her kids weren't having teen sex. Used to go snooping through my stuff, etc. One day she rushes out to the lounge room triumphantly holding the condom I'd stashed in my wallet, yelling and screaming, "I KNEW IT!!", etc.

Then she saw there were cobwebs on it. Mouth opened wide and she quietly put it back into my wallet, handed it to me, never brought it up again.

[Turbinator]

There were cobwebs on a condom in your wallet? Wtf?

[GingerFurball]

Tell them you're gay. Smoking won't seem like such a big deal.

[GingerFurball]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Don't protest or argue the point, I reckon. As you said, just makes you look more guilty and will further establish in their minds that you're smoking, especially in the absence of objective proof. If you get directly confronted, say you don't do it and if they don't believe you, too bad.

Objective proof would help, though. When I was a teen, my Mum was really quite crazy about making sure her kids weren't having teen sex. Used to go snooping through my stuff, etc. One day she rushes out to the lounge room triumphantly holding the condom I'd stashed in my wallet, yelling and screaming, "I KNEW IT!!", etc.

Then she saw there were cobwebs on it. Mouth opened wide and she quietly put it back into my wallet, handed it to me, never brought it up again.

I'd have pointed out that by having a condom I was lessening the chances of making her a grandmother

[Top_Cat]

Originally Posted by GingerFurball

Tell them you're gay. Smoking won't seem like such a big deal.

haha, would give a new context to leaving the house for 30 min 'walks', especially if there are public toilets in the area.

[Agent Nationaux]

[silentstriker]

Get a cigarette and smoke in front of their face. Then tell them it was all the stress from them telling you not to smoke.

If my family was like that, I'd totally use every chance to mess with them.