Ying Yu Jade
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Jade Acquisition Disorder (JAD)
This is a submission from a customer/blog reader/friend
I've recently
been visiting with a friend who is a pipe smoker; and he told me about
something called PAD, short for "Pipe Aquisition Disorder",
which is how pipe smokers humorously refer to the unexplained and irresistable
urge they frequently get to seek out and purchase more pipes. Apparently,
many pipe smokers also become pipe collectors, often acquiring dozens,
hundreds, or in some extreme cases, thousands of pipes, new and pre-owned,
of all shapes, sizes and materials - more than they can smoke in a lifetime
- and indeed, while a collector might have dozens of pipes, most will
have only twenty or thirty "favorites" in regular use. They
collect because they love the artistry that goes into the design and manufacture
of tobacco pipes, which are often handmade and may cost (new) anywhere
from $50 for a decently made, reliable pipe to $15,000 or more for a pipe
that is considered one-of-a-kind and exquisitely crafted by an artisan
of the pipe
carver's craft.
As nearly as I can determine, an "average" pipe smoker might smoke anywhere from one to four "bowls" of tobacco every day, although many only smoke on weekends or even less frequently and some might smoke eight or more pipes in a single day (considered excessive by many). Most pipers like to "rest" each pipe for 24 to 48 hours or longer between uses, so they will often have what they call a "rotation" of pipes, which is, basically, a fresh pipe for each smoking session; so a four-bowl-a-day smoker will have anywhere from four to upwards of twenty pipes in his/her weekly rotation. Some of them will conscientiously clean each pipe before putting it away after a smoke, and others will smoke through their entire rotation before sitting down to clean them all at the end of the week before starting over - or switching to a different set of pipes for a new "rotation".
Okay, I've gotten a little off topic here, but I wanted to give you a little background on what I've come to consider the "Dao of the Pipe". Another remarkable thing about pipe smokers is that they come in all shapes and sizes, from both genders, from all walks of life and with every imaginable education level and intelect; yet all seem to embrace one another warmly with a true spirit of fellowship and welcome. I've never seen anything like it outside of a schoolyard.
My friend also told me about "TAD" (Tobacco Acquisition Disorder) - the search for one's personal "Holy Grail" - the one tobacco that most completely satisfies each individual's desires for the perfect combination of flavor, aroma, nicotine content, smoking characteristics, etc. If you put 25 pipe smokers in a room and ask them each to list their three favorite tobaccos, chances are you will receive the names of at least fifty different blends - out of hundreds that are widely available commercially. But you'll also notice that certain names will appear on many different lists. Those will be considered "classics", whose names will bring knowing, thoughful nods all round.
Which brings me
to Jade Acquisition Disorder, or JAD as I will forever now know it. My
name is Deirdre, and I have Jade Acquisition Disorder. I first started
using jade in 2006 and became a daily user in 2007. I love jade, I revel
in jade, and although I now have nine beautiful jade bangles, I admit
I rarely wear most of them, but generally switch off among two or three
favorites. As long as I have eyesight and can afford it, I will probably
continue to purchase more jade. The reason? Because whether I wear them
frequently or not, each individual bangle brings me
joy when I do wear it, or when I display it, or clean it, or show it to
someone else. I will always have my favorites, but that will not stop
my acquisitive impulses.
So, how did I get this monkey on my back?
Just lucky, I
guess!
