Childhood days are free and without responsibility, while teenage years are about learning and shaping our future, and the older we get, we become mature and confident, but each age is precious

Life begins at whatever age one feels they should live out their dreams. Sometimes due to circumstances, people cannot do what their heart desires at a specific time. So life for me started at around 40. And now coming on 49, I am thankful to be able to live out my dream of riding in your beautiful country of Nepal.

— Michele Theseira, Malaysia

Age doesn’t determine how old are you but is the album of memories that you had once. It is some wonderful thing that keeps on passing by bringing more maturity and happiness to people. I sometimes think what and how would my life be after 25 — I would be more confident, might have a great job and someone who supports me. But those thoughts bring me back to the age that I am in and I want to live the age that I am currently in fully. Teenage years are the time that decides our future. We make mistakes but we learn from it. I want to continue learning so that I will be more confident and able to find solution to every problem in future. Another reason is that I don’t want to be away from my parents, friends and teachers who love me, worry about me and scold me and all these things encourage me to do something better.

— Sashikala Tamang, Pokhara

Every age is one part of that golden necklace called life. So I can’t differentiate and rate them. For me my present time is the best age to be in. The moment I am living now is the best time to live. If I missed it then it’s gone which can’t be regained despite of million efforts. If you learn to live at the present, then each day of your life and each moment is the best. May you be at your teenage years or 20s, 30s or 60s, you got that moment to live and that particular age has its own glory. Because there is only one moment, one age and one life.

— Uttam Thapa

I am only nine-years old and I would like to be an adult, maybe about the age of 21. I want to be 21 years old because I want to finish college. I don’t want to be too young because I don’t like children much — I only like when they are born. I don’t want to remain too young or grow too old. Being old means I would have to worry about dying; I don’t want to grow old and fall sick. I want to die before I develop any problems. I don’t want to lose my sight, my hearing, and my ability of walking. I don’t want to be nine because when we are young, we fall sick often as we catch cold very quickly. So that’s why I would like to be an adult.

— Anonymous

I regard the best age of a lifetime is childhood — from seven-year to 14-year old because this age is the time when a child learns and knows how to communicate with the outer world. A child is free like a flying bird in sky and s/he is happy. Whereas the ones above this age have lots of things to take care of. Teenagers have to start working for their career and have to work really hard for it which leaves them with no time to enjoy life. Similarly the ages

between 25-60 years are dedicated to one’s family and people have big responsibilities towards their family rather than ourselves. By the time people reach 60 years and above, they are physically and mentally weak while they are likely to get sick and experience other problems as well.

So, there is no age like childhood where one is full of freedom, happiness, laughter and memories. But if we take it positively we can extract the best out of every age we are in.

— Tulip Gyawali, Minbhawan

Everybody has their own reason, circumstances and innumerous other factors to think that a certain age is the best age to be in. For me, my upbringing, lifestyle, choices of life and ups and downs have proved that my life has really began at 30.

Now I am 31 years old and my thoughts are matured, I am calm and I always try to make right choices in life. I try to learn new skills; I am open to new ideas, challenges, and the best thing is the wisdom that I’ve learnt from the pages of the book of life. At this age I’ve discovered a self whom I can trust, that I am confident with and I feel comfortable to be with, and at the same time there is another lazy, old self which, time and again impedes my performance, my relationships with people, my actions et cetera but I am optimistic that, one by one I’ll be able to get rid of my outdated thought patterns and habits. I see the world around me in a bigger and  clearer picture, which I find very interesting. I’m clear about my decisions, choices and goals to reach. I’ve learnt to listen to myself and to follow the teacher inside of me in the form of insight, which is the gift of time and circumstances. They say that, life is an eternal learning process and I am willing to be a lifelong student in this school of life.

— Anonymous

No age is perfect to start a living. Past is already gone and future is yet to come. What we have got in our hands is the present. Those who focus more on present are found to be more successful. I’ve seen many people who wait for another day to do their task and hope the next time to be the best. Years pass by and their ages gone, at the end they become old, filled with pain and regrets waiting to die. So today is the best day and now is the best age to start a new life.

— Subhamitta

As artist Yoko Ono once said, “Some people are old at 18 and some are young at 90... Time is a concept that human created.” It is very relevant. Each and every one of us differ in every way and our very notion of ‘living the life’ and ‘my prime time’ may differ from individual to individual. Some of us have to work hard to earn a living and save some for a decent retirement whereas some of us are born with a silver spoon and don’t have to worry much about tomorrow. Those of us who have to work hard may experience a good life at a late age and well for the lucky ones it’s quite different. As for me my life was easier during my childhood days. Days used to go by easily just by attending school, playing and sleeping whereas post college days are miles apart. Tension of career, work and social life, family and responsibilities and all add up to make up a frustrating and hectic schedule. So for me childhood days perhaps were the best days I’ve experienced till date, and maybe if I’m lucky enough I might be able to enjoy a happy retirement.

— Anonymous

Being in 40’s is the coolest thing. You will have a good family, settled job and everything will be in a track by this age. It is the age after a struggling phase. This age is to take it in all of the hard works that you have done before. This is the age of relaxation if you can really make out of it. I am excited to be in my 40’s and I will enjoy the life above struggle.

— Sapna Ale Magar, Los Angeles

I’m quite satisfied with life at the present as I make sure to live my life the fullest in the present while welcoming future or my old age with grace. But sometimes I do miss my childhood days and all its fun, freedom, having to not worry anything and all its sweet memories. Nonetheless, I do feel that young adulthood is indeed the best part of life. It’s the time when you actually recognise your ability so you can become sure about your destiny and what you prefer in your life, be it career, study or relationships. It’s when you become independent and you begin to value yourself and your worth for others as you get responsibilities. It’s the time when you make tons of memories as you have that zeal and energy. It’s the time when you are responsible yet free to choose your own path for your happiness and career, mature yet young enough to behave childish, not so rich yet accomplished enough to afford the chosen joy.

— Somika Ganesh, Dhumbarahi, Kathmandu

Various interests are generated in people as they grow up. Some may want to live on in a certain age forever and some beg for time to pass quickly to get rid of their present ages. As per the fact that every single second of our life is important and priceless, we should utilise it as much as we can.

But to speak individually I am 14 and I am waiting to be 17. The youthfulness in me, the charm on my face, and my body would be enough to represent my satisfaction in that age. I have already dreamed of how my days would be as a teen girl, experimenting with life, where I would be the queen of my world and ruling over myself while staying away from the burdens of jobs and relaxing. I would gladly prefer anyone to enjoy their age of seventeen without regrets.

— Anonymous

When we think of a carefree, glorious and the best years of our life, childhood sparks. This is the only time when one has the freshness of a dream, not embedded with any responsibility and duty. Actually childhood and its memories are the tiny case of happiness in the desert of drudgery. A child has no worries, no hardships and no troubles; he is looked after by his parents. He gets everything without doing anything. Each and every unnecessary and meaningless chatter becomes the cause of the joy in the family. A child enjoys perfect freedom. His life is full of innocence. He builds castles of sand and feels very happy. He gets joy in floating paper boats. He often quarrels with others over small things but soon forgets about it — childhood is really the golden period of one’s life.

— Anonymous

Our life has equal importance in every age. When we are young, we miss our teenage days. When we are in college, we miss our school days. When we move to new stage in our life we always miss our past days and want to be in the past. It’s because there are many things which could have been done but we skip those things. It will be same in our future too. We will regret something that is not done today.

But for me teenage years are that precious age. Either someone learns to be a good person or they waste their time in bad things. If anyone gets proper guidance s/he will learn to deal with obstacles. But unfortunately, if they lack sufficient counselling they might take bad step, which eventually hampers his/her future.

— Anonymous

Every stage of life have its own sweetness and bitterness. For me young age after 24 years of age is the best part of my life. It is the period when I have completed my graduation and there is no financial dependency upon my parents. When we are financially independent, door opens for adventurous journey and a challenge to establish one’s career. Within this period we can make our name and fame. We can show to the rest of the world through our intelligence and deeds how we are different from others.

In between birth and death we have to do something worthy with courage and confident and the recognisable work of this time makes others to remember us in future. So, if we want to live the meaningful life then activeness and courage of young age cannot be compared with any time period of life. It’s the time for utilising the right amount of energy in the right place. The only difficult thing is the time management for our adventure making, carving niche while tackling family responsibility together.

— Sabita Sapkota, Kapan, Kathmandu

Age is just number, it has nothing to do with the joy of life. However, the age between 18 and 35 is regarded as the evolutionary prime age of life because one becomes physically strong, economically independent, active, responsible, attractive and so on at this age. In fact the actual personality of a person gets shaped permanently at this very age. And the most interesting thing about this so called prime age is that it comes once, and many will certainly miss it. One really becomes carefree and fear free at this age and can have lots of fun fulfilling the desired demands.

All in all, age never determines at what time should a person enjoy or have fun. We need to enjoy every moment to its fullest, as if it’s the last moment of life. So every fraction of second is prime time, and every age is prime age, only thing we need to change is the conservative perceptions.

— Rupak Banjara, Panauti

Life is a gift of god. Some really appreciate it wholeheartedly. Others don’t. It is all about attitude. Nevertheless, all people, including the optimists and pessimists would agree that those high school days of teenage freedom is the most memorable. Those are the days when we live for today, dream for tomorrow. The youthful body is at its prime of beauty. We make friends who love unconditionally, without any hidden motive attached to friendship. Such bonds will not be seen in later years, when we become double standard and hypocritical, just like the world we live in.

— Nerinav

Being in my mid 20s at the moment, I feel each age period is the best age. Childhood period is such a phase where you are ‘simply you’ full of innocence and joy. Life is fun, full of entertainment, you don’t have any burden or stress, you are dependent on your parents, you demand things, and you get angry, stubborn but still get lots of attention and you are pampered and loved by your elders at the same time.

Teenage phase after passing through my childhood age wasn’t bad. This was the time when I started being responsible. Life wasn’t that easy like I thought to be rather complicated but I started knowing the reality of the world, and realised many things. At 20s I have taught myself to be more responsible and sensible. This is the time where we have passed out from school and entered college and university and so this is the time to think about our career and take life in a serious way like a matured and grown-up person.

So, right now while I walk the memory lane I quite miss my childhood age and all the fun which I used to have with my friends and family that I would like to cherish forever in my life.

— Tejaswi Pahari, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur

For me my present time is the most valuable age, to progress and develop myself. As a child, I was free to eat and play but nothing more than that. Now I am free to express what I feel and think about. I can speak for myself and work accordingly but being a child I could do nothing to myself except for crying to get what I want and like. Being a youth is the perfect age as the curiosity and the self motivations are always at the top. The nature of venturing into new adventures leads us to new inventions and discoveries. Youth is the age when every person lives their lives to the fullest because it is only the age where people realise that they are no more a child enough for minor decisions. The physical and the mental state are always active and innovative. The courage at the young age is so strong that it can be as bold as the jumping monkey of the tree. One is confident and energetic at this age which can help them achieve their dream.

— Susmita Thapa, Besigaun, Jorpati

I think I will always long for the age of youth all the time because it is the time when one is full of zeal and vigour. It is the time of transition from innocent childhood to being an adult. It has been seen that majority of achievements achieved in lifetime is guided during this age of youth — teenage period or adolescence.

Teenage is full of adventure, freedom, excitement and blend of emotions. It is the phase of being maturity, bearing, learning, having a goal and working for it — all these determine ones’s future. Though our early childhood memories fade away and late childhood memories have experimental bearings; the memories of teenage which is the period of perception and personality development, inculcates the major share in the hippocampus (memory centre) of our brain. I always wish to be in my teenage years so that I can always give my best of all effort in my life.

— Dr Inclub Dhungana, Pokhara

Every age of life brings some specialty and charm in human’s life. Childhood brings lots of fun, enjoyment and initial stage of learning. With the welcome of teenage years, we start developing ourselves in accordance with our chosen career. Young age is full of challenges, power and enthusiasm to do something and we become more responsible to achieve our aim. When we reach the old age we find a perfect match for our son/daughter and get them married. After completing all these responsibilities, we have only one task left that is to enjoy with our grandchildren. With them we again relive our life. But for me, my childhood and teenage years is the best and I hope that my young and old age are going to be best because I live every age with full satisfaction.

— Khushbu Gupta, Ashokvatika, Birgunj-13