Freedom to enjoy oneself seems to be an integral part of Nepali culture, as far as I can tell. I can’t count the times I have overheard a Nepali comment on the behavior of a kuire visitor (whilst the said kuire was doing something totally insane) with the phrase “Well...they must be enjoying...”
This concept and use of the verb “enjoy” seems to be exclusive in Nepal, as I don’t remember anyone in America noticing other’s enjoyment with such enthusiasm as the Nepalis, or hold the action of enjoyment in such high regard. Quite the opposite; enjoyment in America is often equated with sloth, degeneration, and a complete waste of time. There, the concept of enjoying one’s life has always been regulated, and set aside for weekends and vacation days, and not seen as a normal part of the normal day, despite what was said in the now defunct Declaration of Independence.
The “pursuit of happiness” terminology in the Declaration of Independence is attributed to Thomas Jefferson, who penned “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
This famous line has been debated ad nauseam ever since, and seems to have been expounded to mean anything but what we might attribute to being happy, like being able to spontaneously break into a song or dance in the middle of a business meeting, or being able to laugh wildly in the face of a farcical congressional hearing. These actions, rather then being applauded in today’s America, will most likely get you committed to a mental institution – or worse.
And there are many other displays of enjoyment that will land you institutionalized. The act of smoking marijuana comes to mind, just as Californians managed to put the legalization of such on the voter’s ballot for this November. Polls there show that 56 percent of Californians approve the move, if the tax proceeds can be used to help bail out the bankrupt state. Opposing the move are all those in law enforcement, and any parent who has had to raise an ill-behaved teenager.
I vote NO on any government interference in our pursuit of happiness.
Personally, I am of two hands on this issue...on one hand, I, like most Nepalis, enjoy seeing people enjoying themselves as long as it does no harm to others. On the other hand, I grew up during the ‘60s when pot and other much stronger substances were used to blow smoke in the face of anyone related to authority and government, and when I witnessed a lot of madness as naked stoned people flaunted uniformed men in arms – creating a great deal of social tension and plenty of senseless beatings.
I much prefer the Nepali way of handling such behavior, where the pursuit of happiness and ability to enjoy is not made into such a big deal that you need a majority of the public vote to proceed. Many of you may feel that Nepal is now a lawless country, lacking even a constitution, but look at the American-style alternative, where it’s illegal to smoke (anything) on a public beach, illegal to smoke a harmless weed, and illegal to dance in a public place (see the NYC law that states that it is illegal to get up and move your body to a rhythm in any locale where three or more people congregate and food or drink is served — unless the business obtains a dance license).
The Legalize Pot or Not debate in California has made this clear to me: The pursuit of happiness is tied to legislation, and that legislation is invariably tied to a tax. If you want to smoke cigarettes or drink booze, fine, you pay a tax. If you want to dance in public, fine, get a license. If you want to take a walk in the woods and just lose yourself in nature, fine, get a permit. In other words, if you want to be happy, you have to pay big money just for the privilege.
So it appears that the declaration that Jefferson wrote in 1776 can be modified for 2010, and I declare this: We have been endowed by our Creator(s) with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, and the Liberty to pursue Happiness as long as we have the Money to pay the Government for that privilege.
So I vote NO on the Californian Cannabis Act of 2010 and vote NO on any government interference in our pursuit of happiness, no matter what that may be. And by the way, I’d be interested to know how you would vote.
(Writer is quirky-kinda expat happily living in the Kathmandu valley with Nepali family, friends, and a very large dog.)
herojig@gmail.com
Related story
International Day of Happiness being celebrated today
