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May be there’s no single man who doesn’t want to taste success in his life. Every body has a keen desire of touching the zenith of success, reaching the pinnacle of perfection and so do I. But my definition of success has changed in the last few years. Previously success for me meant name, fame and ample money, success for me was reaching the acme of any profession one enrolls himself in, piling up great wealth, name on the news headlines and posing on the cover page of the world famous “Time Magazine”. But with maturity and experience I discovered how erroneous I was.

There’s no precise definition of success. I have realized that even those people whose bank balances are not noteworthy are eminent. They may not brandish significant authority and they may not be necessarily recognized or asked for autographs when walking down on the street. For example the school principal who resides next to my apartment commenced a secondary school that teaches children values and self esteem and love for god and country. He is creating an ambience where children can grow in healthy ways. He is trying to inculcate value education in them. I have seen him sweat to produce a heat among the students to work hard and to work with allegiance. This man in true sense has been their path finder, their scout who has rendered himself for their refinement. The principal has been a paragon and an idol of god every successful students worship everyday for it is him who has made them what they are today. Now is he less successful than a business tycoon who has an empire of more than a billion dollar?

Its been more than a decade I have seen a old lady nurse at my near by hospital who volunteers to the elderly people whose eyes can no longer witness the beautiful world around them. She has given more than half her life for the well being of this old age groups. Now is she less successful than a striker who scores a scorcher, a winning goal at the dying seconds of a football match.

In the last 17 years at the hospital quarter I have had the opportunity to come across many wonderful doctors who have dedicated their entire life to finding cure to deadly diseases. Will they be considered a success if only they come with cure to Cancer or AIDS or Hepatitis, of course not? No one can ignore the hours and dedications they have put forth whether or not they achieve their goals.

So I have conned that everyone has an individual vision towards success. We each have our own definition of success and every one is equally precious and worthy. It shouldn’t be externally evaluated, it should be intrinsically experienced. We are a galaxy of individuals, each holding our own place in the cosmos and scintillating from within as a result of whatever gives us our individual gleam. Now I have realized that the true essence of success, beneath the visible markers and goals, lies in the personal satisfaction and fulfillment, it doesn’t necessarily mean name, fame and money.

   [ posted by Alankar Khanal @ 11:29 PM ] | Viewed: 1424 times [ Feedback]

"Aama” for me is the best and the dearest word in the world, the sweetness, aroma and the depth of this word cannot be excelled by any other word in the universe. “Aama” is the word which many Nepalese people call their Mom from, but I use this word exclusively for my Granny. Ama is the person I love the most in the world. From my very childhood I share a very special bond with my grand mum. She is the one who has acquainted me with the realities of life. I have come across miles of distance holding her hands. She is the noble nurse who has nurtured me with values.

From then to now nothing has changed. She thinks that her grand son is still the same kid she used to carry on her shoulder and play with. My granny is fond of chocolates and she never shares it with any one, I am an exception. Even to this date she saves all the chocolates gifted to her by her son, daughters and every other person who has sound knowledge of her delectation for sweets, she preserves them for me. Every time I go to visit her, I see her searching for the chocos she has hived up solely for her favorite grand son, may be its of the old age she often forgets where she has actually stored them, but in the end she finds it out and hands it over to me, she orders me not to share it with any body else and as per her orders, I never share the chocos given to me by my granny.

Whenever she notices me coughing, she quickly collects her herbs and makes an ayurvedic medicine ready and puts it on me. Even to this date she loves putting oil on my legs and massage them. I feel a bit awkward seeing such an elderly person touching my legs and whenever I object it, she gently chews me up. Every time she sees me, she gently touches my arms and says whether I have gained weight or lost it and every time she happens to be correct which astounds me. I ask her “Aama how do you know whether or not I have lost my weight by feeling my arms”, she simply beams at me and I find my answer. Its so much of peace whenever I rest on her laps, I feel like no other place in the world can offer me so much of placidity. Whenever I am led down I rest my head on her bosom and she gives me a hug, I forget all my miseries and pain and I get elated instantly. All these things touch my heart.

There’s nothing I can give her in return for her flawless love, the only thing I can offer is love itself. She is getting staler day by day and I just wish in her old days I can hold her hands and help her walk her final steps. It’s a misery but a fact that a day will come when I will have to let go off the hands, the very same hands which once taught me how to walk.

   [ posted by Alankar Khanal @ 11:28 PM ] | Viewed: 1141 times [ Feedback]

Last night I had a dream or should I say a nightmare. It was very unusual. I saw my entire state in anarchy. I witnessed cracking conflicts, wipeouts and battue, women and children being put into fire and the atrocious way the freebooters were creating terror among peace loving people by raping, killing, plundering and torturing people to death. Standing alone in the chaos was me and I was wondering how the peace loving people of my country go to such an extent of inhuman treatment towards the same human race. One group of killers was abetting the other group to intensify the killings. The only thing I knew that moment was this violence was unlikely to abate very soon.

The hatred was for no reason and even if there was a reason, all of them failed to realize that the very hatred had converted them into devils out of human beings and was moving them to commit such horrible crimes. It was vivid that these people were infected by contagious disease named hatred. These callous people were spitting the most powerful venom of hatred for others.

It is an inevitable fact that these killers too have family and they indeed possess soft feelings for their relations. But while demolishing other’s lives I could see they were being taken over by such boisterous instinct that their mind became devoid of the frail outlook in the analogy of their own relations. Blood for blood had become the most modus operandi. And within a blink of eye my peaceful land was sodden with blood. I was the only one alive in this war. I was absolutely alienated and I was searching for my family. I could find them nowhere and I knew I had lost my world.

The sunrise came with no meaning. I had lost everything and there was no reason to live. I made up my mind to surrender myself to death. Then I saw a young innocent child playing with blood without cognizing what had bechanced. He must have felt like it’s another beautiful day as usual which was in fact not to be. He had no clue that like me he had lost his paradise. I couldn’t resist it and I just picked him up from the mess. I gave him a tender kiss on his forehead. The very moment I felt I shouldn’t give this child the very world I have seen, a world of terror, a bedlam world. The child instantly gave me a reason to live. I promised to myself that I would live for this child and try giving him a cosmos where he can feel the zephyr, experience peace and tranquility. I was determined to adorn his life. Then I assured myself that no matter what others do, I shall continuously lay my efforts for maintaining serenity, if not for myself then for the generations to come by. Kissed him once again and then he smiled, an innocent smile.

Alankar Khanal

   [ posted by Alankar Khanal @ 11:39 AM ] | Viewed: 1636 times [ Feedback]

Legalize Sex

Sexual harassment a product of repression today has become a crime because nobody seems to know how to deal with it. I personally feel sexual torment is a crime, sexual pleasure is not. When somebody accepts it as a part of life and if the person has no problems sleeping with a third person, I don't think it makes sense to criticize the person or profession. What we lack is I suppose "Dignity of Labor". Prostitutes are part of society and like every other person cleaning the toilet; they are into the flesh trade to support themselves and nothing more. We are selling ideas and they are selling their bodies. The person in search of a satisfying life doesn't ask for comfort but for an opportunity to exercise his ability. If the person has the guts to sell his body and earn his livelihood he\she should be given more than freedom to exercise it after all he is an adept in it.

Whenever I put forward my opinion about legalizing prostitution I am countered by my family and friends saying that legitimizing prostitution will certainly abase the society. Something I fail to understand is isn’t a person in complete control of himself or herself, no one would force him/her to go in an area such like which is looked at from a completely negative point of view. A person visits such areas on his personal will and its up to the person to justify himself. A sex worker just waits for the customer, he/she doesn’t go to the road in hunting for persons aiming to buy their services and even if one does, the sex worker doesn’t pick up an individual forcibly to make money.

In my opinion legalizing prostitution comes with enormous benefits as it ensures regulation and taxation and reduce the abuse of prostitutes by Pimps. This exploitation includes abuse, both physical and mental, often leading to murder. Apart from that Panders usually take a macroscopic portion of the prostitute’s profit.

I am sure that legalizing the profession will definitely increase the quality of lives for those who partake in prostitution as a career and those who use the business they offer. It allows regulation, requiring medical examination of prostitutes on a regular basis, helping to reduce the transfer of STDs and communicable diseases. A legal status of prostitution permits prostitutes to work for themselves, or in a safe, controlled environment, such as a licensed brothel. It will further permit taxation of prostitution wages, like any other employment. Taxation of prostitution results in increased taxes collected by cities, counties and states, thus ensuring prostitutes the choice of continuing or discontinuing their career in prostitution. People normally remain quiet whenever I put forward this aspect of legalizing sex.

The most important thing to realize is that it’s the society that gives birth to a prostitute. And majority of them profess it due to abject poverty rather than the vast volumes of money involved in it. May be all involved in this business feel like its better to die on their feet than to die on their knees. So I firmly back the idea of legalizing sex. Nothing is good or bad only thoughts make it so. And if we look at it from a sex workers point of view we can realize it’s the very sex world that’s actually taking care of their entire family. They feel financially secure working under the aegis of such organizations. If prostitution is a crime every other profession is a c rime too because one’s man meat is surely others man poison


Alankar Khanal

   [ posted by Alankar Khanal @ 09:58 AM ] | Viewed: 860 times [ Feedback]