What you describe Jersey with the girl smoking reminds me of one of the biggest hits from a band I like, the Editors. If you like emotional indie, like your American bands, Interpol and The National, check these guys out also. Anyways, the song has the chorus:

The saddest thing, that I've ever seen, was smokers outside, the hospital doors.

How are things in NJ by the way? I know it's badly hit, but are you past the peak?

Morning Lori 

Intestinal Fortitude eh? I like the term. And I like that you strive for that balance. I do too, but only on my better days. Mostly though, i feel nothing, because I know from experience that feeling the pain of everyone will bring you down; so then you yourself will need the help that others are more deserving of... And, yes, I agree, there is intrinsic good in the majority. Even if there wasn't, it is better to live your like believing that, otherwise you will end up cocooned, dimmed, less alive, and less able to change things a little.

Yes Lori, I also get what you are saying about avoiding certain subjects. I do too when I am most upset with the tide the world and my country specifically is taking. Sometimes this avoidance can last months. Plus I am currently trying my best not to get worked up during this quit period. But does that quit period ever end I wonder? Anyways, I suspect there won't be much disagreement between us if we ever did go there - just a small mountain of consensus, built up slowly by us both from different angles.

And have a good, strong day also. Not sure I'm ready to join the pledge, as I am still exploring my feelings about smoking. But I wish you well with your pledge, and I do think I will still be standing with you at the end of the day.

Good Morning.  Yes .. NJ has been hit badly.  I am not sure if we are past the peak  .. still have high #'s .. Gov just announced the other day that our lock down will be extended another month .. so now we are looking at first week of June for him to re-assess things.

So glad i am not a smoker in the middle of this respiratory pandemic!

Yes, a small mountain of consensus...

Im also not letting myself get too worked up. I could probably let myself get to the point of wanting to smoke to feel better. I’ve done those things in the past; create situations to justify having a cigarette. Now, at least I can see the BS in doing that, so there is progress had. 
I stumbled on an interesting quit smoking site last night. I’ll go back and find the part that captured my mind. It was along the same thoughts of a Joel Spitzer article I read once that spoke to embracing the craves by staying detached and watching them. It resonated with a tactic that at times works for me. It also made me realize that I’m a functionalist. Made me realize that this quit endeavor takes a bit of an arsenal. Somewhat akin to all these so called “survivalists” we have here in the US. You know, the ones who hoarded all their beans and bullets (and likely toilet paper) preparing for the moment to come when they’d have to hole up and secure themselves from some yet unseen enemy. Except now they are the same folks who are crying and screaming “let me out! You’re tramping on my freedom!” Because a potentially deadly virus isn’t enough of an unseen enemy for them personally to be holed up over. No, that woos of a thing that they can’t see and therefore they feel it doesn’t have a weapon isn’t enough to fight against... they need an actual AK47 or M16 to be in the hands of what they are facing for it to be an actual enemy. Morons. Same ones that come in sick and worried and wanting a test. Yeah. I digress...Anyway, this quit takes an arsenal of tactics. One moment I’m finding that it takes determination and a power through and fight the urge mindset. One moment it takes a mindset of “I relinquish myself to the crave and will just ride the wave”. Another crave requires a “lean in but not too hard” mindset. Some of the craves just suck and I feel on the brink of a cliff and know that if I just had a hang glider attached I’d go ahead and step off and FLY! Oh, what a feeling that would be and it is on my list to do as soon as a place is open to rent one. And yet there is the tactic of getting on here and babbling and yes, that works too while waiting for my little tiny clear acrylic or whatever it is made of adhesive patch on my arm to release it’s trickle of nicotine into my system. Ahhh...I feel the tingle now...relief and release...

I digressed again!! Not sure what it is Musivore but you seem to have tapped into a writing response in me! Which, no, I’m not a writer and have never written anything worthy of being printed anywhere. Heck, I couldn’t even stick with a quit journal. 
But back to the site I found, it is interesting as it goes in depth into how to accept the craves and detach and not fight them. I’ll figure out how to attach a link here. It is a bit redundant but then in another part explains the redundancy. You know, redundancy works!!! Look at Trump. He repeats rhetoric and other things and voila! It is believed. So why not apply that same principle to this I ask? Humans are actually fairly simple in our complexity at times. Just cut through the BS that we think is what makes us so unique and special and above all the other creatures and sure enough, there we are. Simple mammals with parts we still refer to as the reptilian brain. Hmmmm.

http://www.quitsmokingonline.com/course/freedom/your-inner-dialogue/

Here is a link to the site index. I think it was lesson 6 that had the things I wrote about, though the whole thing has value. Just takes some time...

http://www.quitsmokingonline.com/course-intro/

Omg Lori, so much for me to read, take in, learn from, giggle at, and delight in... I will stop there because I know my compliments can get incredibly sickly, if not to the recipient, then to anyone else who happens to read. Suffice to say, I pray that I can continue to be a Muse for you for a little longer, because I am finding you to be priceless.

What you describe about being detached during your cravings sounds like Mindfulness to me. I have attended a number of sessions for this through work, and absolutely loved the concept. You sit back, tap into your feelings, ride the wave, appreciate, try not to direct or interfere with those internal workings, and just become aware of the waves and sensations that make up our complex wholes. On the whole, the technique is used to relax and de-stress, and it definitely works (a little too well on my case, as I always ended up asleep and my subsequent snoring and dribbling didn't help others attending). What you describe sounds like that, and it will be interesting to try the same tactics for a craving, although I suspect it will be harder to ride that wave compared to my experiences of mindfulness in the past. Either way, I will write about it here.

And yeah, totally agree on all of what you say about survivalists and about their esteemed leader. It does actually concern me when I see a big baby stand up and represent the leading country of the free world. I didn't always know whether to laugh or cry when I used to tune in to the daily briefings that are now no longer, after bleachgate. But I'm reluctant to go there on here, as I am less informed than you guys, plus people in glasshouses need to keep their heads down and concentrate on staying out of trouble, and continuing to keep the smoking beasts at bay.

These links Lori - did you have to donate to access? That is a strange thing to have to do for what claims to be a free site?

No, I didn’t...yes, it’s odd. I don’t know much about what it takes to keep a website up. That is for people whose minds are more technical than my wandering mess of neurons. I often feel a twinge of guilt when I don’t donate something and I’m reaping some pleasure of someone else’s hard work. I guess I could donate what I would have spent on smokes today even. 
More in a bit! Catching my breath from an over 2 hour walk. Ahhhh!