a mixed(up) metaphor

in my last post i referred to the expression "like a broken record" as a metaphor.  now i think it might actually be a simile.  i was always afraid that not smoking would make me less of an intellectual (which has nothing to do, really with being smart)  because not smoking is infinitely smarter.  not smoking has made me more of a well rounded person.  i'm really hoping that i'll lose the weight soon  ( ba-dum-bum).  seriously though. i never realized all the stimulating after dinner conversations i missed when i bolted from the table, napkin, cigarette and lighter in hand.  part of that conversation had to do with how stupid smoking really is.  another part had to do with how bad i'd smell when i returned.  but the rest of what i would have missed actually was pretty fascinating.  maybe because i was at the table sharing my brilliance (lol).  but if "at the table" can stand as a metaphor for being alive, then i want to linger post dinner for a really long time.  that's the main benefit of not smoking.  and that's not hyperbole!