DISTRESSING NEWS : Karen Monroe R I P !

Facebook friend showed a fundraising photo recently and did not respond to my request for info on the current status of Karen with whom I had exchanged some emails as a result of her visit to the TDU last January . Those of you that visited my blog about that time will have seen those posts that many viewed . Personally I hate seeing smokers and their attitude towards others that do not smoke . As early as 1967 I remember tossing a party goer out of my house as he stepped on a cigarette butt on the carpet ! Could be that he had meant to toss it into the fire but was too lazy to pick it up . As an Aussie I am only too aware of the annual death toll in Bush fires as a result of the “ careless disposal of cigarette butts ” but even in the city the butt is tossed into private property due to insensitivity or a “ superior attitude that smokers have towards non smokers ! Could they think they are so much more because they choose to burn their money ? In 1966 I had the opportunity to smoke tax free on the Fairstar as I was sailing to Oz but chose that time to STOP ! All at some time suffer the temptation to sample smoking and giving up smoking or resisting “ Peer pressure” at a young age is a sign of maturity . Regrettably the majority of the world has only awoken to the dangers of passive smoking in recent years . So many by-standers have lost their life through the efforts of others ! Nobody intends to harm others when they smoke but research has shown that smoking effects ALL ! In my final years in Sydney I reached the stage where I did not date Ladies who smoked regardless of their attraction , who wants to kiss an ashtray ? Regardless of a person’s cleanliness smoke gets into the skin and elsewhere so no matter how much breathe freshener is used the taste lingers . Used to be the case where you arrived home from a night out and had to leave your clothes on the balcony to get rid of the smoke , occasionally you would wake in the morning with a headache from the effects of the smoke at the event . Thankfully this is no longer the case for me ! Here in Austria if you smoke in a Taxi you will pay a 100 Euro penalty , the driver or their Company/Employer will pay 1000 Euros for the first offence BUT subsequent convictions carry a 10000 Euros penalty ! Can remember the days I drove a cab and the passenger would insist on the windows being closed as they smoked to keep out the cold , as the driver you were bound by the Taxi Council Code to comply with the passengers wishes . Reg Kommode would have a lot to answer for theses days . YES you read it right Ten Thousand Euros Penalty for allowing others to risk their health ! Karen was a Non Smoker all her life and paid the price for others thoughtless behaviour ! Below is my email to Karen’s email address : From: Skippy McCarthy Sent: Wednesday, 7 December 2011 9:23 PM To: karen ridehardtobreatheeasy Subject: REPLY 7/12/11: REPLY 1/03/2011: checkout www.parrabuddy.blogspot.com Saw a Leongatha Fund raise item and wondered how you are faring ? Reply received today : “ Skippy, I am replying on behalf of my wife Karen because unfortunately she lost her battle with cancer in September. We are about to kick her website back into life and have a committee set up to run it so things will start to move in the future. She was an amazing women with a bucketload of spirit and we all miss her but will continue what she started to honour her memory. Regards, Steve Link to my Blog entries : www.parrabuddy.blogspot.com/Courageinthefaceoflungcancer!!revisited Karen lived life to the full and inspired many ! R I P Karen