Binita Joshi Shrestha

We were sitting on the oval table when dad handed us a piece of paper each. We were about a group of thirteen. Dad then asked us to unfold the paper and answer the question in two minutes. Just like a competition. We did not take it that way cause we knew there was no prize to vie for, no crowns, no sashays, no trophies, no medals, no bouquets and no nothing and no tense feelings. The question was, “What would you do if you are 18-year-old again”?

What a hurting question! Just like the saying, “Adding fuel to fire” — and burnt desires! Hurting because most of us knew the pain of being above 18 without having solicited much of our dreams. For a while we all got surprised with the question, not of course with my dad who has been throwing surprises since the day he initiated a monthly meeting of our relatives comprising of four (happy) families almost seven years ago.

Guided by the principle of Rotary and the Lion, dad felt we should have a club too — a family club, which sits down together on a regular basis and share things. So our club, which is still sans a name, was established and we meet the first Saturday of every month in our sweet homes in rotation. We all wait for this day to express our ideas that we have cultivated and conserved for a month. We simply call it a monthly family get-together. We are all glad and thankful to dad for having set something like this.

Back to the question. The answer did not come pat into my mind. But I had to write something. At the end of the deadline, my beautiful aunt read aloud: “I would participate in Miss Nepal!” What an answer! I know this would be the answer of many women who passed their beautiful stages without today’s opportunities. Everybody started reading their answers and eve-ryone had a regret for not having done and getting something, which they deserved. In a way, everybody thought of having been born on the wrong time and I felt the same.

With so much of opportunities around for today’s youngsters, I feel I should have been born now. I again feel I would not have regretted that bad even if I were born in my dad’s generation as there were opportunities that time too and less competition. But my time sandwiched in-between pro-ved not right with lesser opportunities and more competitions. But I don’t give up and never will. Everybody gets tempted to be eighteen till they die, the Bryan Adams way, but I am convinced that I will make most of my current age and there is simply no looking back.