In the past year and a half, there have been lots of clubs as subsets of the SSC - groups that identify with each other because they quit the same month. In my opinion, they have not been alienating in ANY way - anyone who quit that month is welcome. The people in those groups receive support from everyone on the SSC site and they give their support to everyone else who is on the site.
But it is a nice way to identify with other people who are in the same stage that you are. I don't have any military background, but somehow a military analogy seems appropriate here.
Let's face it. We are all in a WAR together. We all support each other. But there is nothing wrong, and in fact everything right, with having a platoon with which to identify. These are folks who joined the battle the same time you did. They were in the trenches the very same time that you were. They are the people who you want to check in with DAILY. As you go through your journey, you will never forget the folks who were doing rescues from the helicopters, and you won't forget the new recruits that later you helped drag out of the trenches, but that starting group will forever hold a special place in your heart. You may be very dissimilar...and you may have never been friends in real life, but these are your fellow battle warriors and they will forever be unique friends in a very special way.
So I say, name your group. Have it open to all January quitters. Check in every day with each other - (and having a thread 007 - or whatever - makes it easy to do that) Continue to help those who come after you and heed closely the words of wisdom of those that walked this path before you - but huddle up and have fun together too!!
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 633
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 15,841
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2215.5
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 89 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 51 [B]Seconds:[/B] 3
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Quit Meter
$798,315.00
Amount Saved
-
Quit Meter
Days: 5708
Hours: 8
Minutes: 47
Seconds: 59
Life Gained
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Quit Meter
45618
Smoke Free Days
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Quit Meter
1,140,450
Cigarettes Not Smoked