Unblinded by touch!

The power of touch can never be overstated. So, what happens when you shut yourself from external chaos and only go by the power of  open conversations to judge? Blindfolded conversations, an upcoming event, aims to do just that –  helping participants discover the person behind the blindfolds, sans any external distractions. We get chatty with participants, experts and youngsters in general about the concept...

“The participants go beyond the physical judgement stage to discover the person behind the blindfold. Everyone comes with various expectations. Some, to meet someone new. Some, for conversation. Some, out of curiosity. My job is to create something that breaks those expectations and facilitate an experience,” begins Janet Orlene, a therapist and slam poet, who will be facilitating the event. Hoping to milk on the ‘Garden city’ factor of namma ooru, the gig fosters open conversations – under the trees in Cubbon Park on October 14.

Young mums are super excited to see how the idea will pan out. Rekha Ghosh, a parent and MNC employee, 28, says she’s looking forward to the idea as it feels like turning back the hands of time. “My daughter is eight, and she’s a really quiet child. The environment is going to be very scenic and I  feel the cool breeze and lush shade will make  both of us more comfortable. We do have conversations, and fortunately it isn’t hard to raise her. . But, I’ve always wondered if she’d be more open with us, had it not been the usual parent-child equation as my husband is a little formal with the kids. It’s human psychology to let your guard down when you’re in the dark. I guess, the blindfolding aspect aims to send a similar signal to participants.”

While parents might love the idea of open conversations, children feel it’s important to have such events on a frequent basis. Speaking of which; 13-year-old Aahan says, “I would love to try something like this as it seems fun.

But, I hope the environment is relaxed and it’s done frequently without which, I dont think it’ll be of much use. I’d like to do this exercise with dad, tell him about stuff that we usually don’t get the time to talk about. I’d also like to hear his side of the story. His struggles, stuff he really likes about me... so I hope it’s not just the kids who’ll be talking.”

Psychologist Karan Shetty, says, “Conversations are always a lot wholesome when done in a relaxed environment. The cool breeze and the shady retreat are sure to exude relaxed vibes. It’s time parents relax – to bridge the generation gap with effective communication. But, parents must keep in mind that such events need to be used as a channel to not only understand their child better, but also ensure to understand themselves better in order to be better mentors, listeners and role models for their kids. Make it a practise to understand people beyond external factors.”