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Life Worth Living

“Parents punished me for my mischiefs, and teachers disciplined me for disobeying them. As a kid, I always wondered why cannot these old people let the kids just be themselves. Always beating them,...

Published10 April 2017
Reading Time 1 mins
Author Stories of Nepal
Location Nepal
Life Worth Living

“Parents punished me for my mischiefs, and teachers disciplined me for disobeying them. As a kid, I always wondered why cannot these old people let the kids just be themselves. Always beating them,...

“Parents punished me for my mischiefs, and teachers disciplined me for disobeying them. As a kid, I always wondered why cannot these old people let the kids just be themselves. Always beating them, always punishing them. I would think when I grow old enough, I will leave my house and travel and be on my own. So I did but because I had no education I had to earn money for food through hard labor at the roads. I travelled most of north India and to many places in Nepal. Sometimes it was a hard life, sometimes you just drank, men, women, everyone, and had a good time. It was a free life, a free life of youth. But now I am a family man. Every evening, I gather my grandchildren and tell them the stories of my adventures, and they listen with excitement. They say, “Is it true? Did that really happen? You are bluffing!” And I laugh with them. I let them be. And to see them run around with joy make my life worth living.” (Prem Bahadur Rai, Gaighat, Udaypur. Met him in Dharan)
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