How a mother used metaphor to convey her son for the first time that he is blind
Communication becomes meaningful when the message is well received.
A well-directed communication with carefully chosen words can get us better results while poor communication creates confusion and catastrophe.
Metaphoric communication is proved to be very useful and effective in all areas of life.
Metaphoric communication is an art.
It is something which you and me or any other person can learn and practice. It is no magic. However, use of appropriate metaphor can have a magical effect in communicating well and achieving the set objective.
Words are the sharpest weapon ever experienced in human life. Choosing the right words for communication is not an easy thing. It is a skill — a skill which gets developed gradually by constant learning and practicing.
What is metaphoric communication?
It is a method of communication wherein a comparison is made of two unrelated or indirectly linked things for the purpose of making people understand a complex situation.
The one with a creative mind makes metaphoric communication more effective and interesting. When it is done with creativity, communication becomes well-directed and effective.
Mahatma Gandhi in his autobiography “My Experiments with Truth” talks about the importance of teaching children with the help of drawing shapes and images to have a long last positive impact.
I believe; long time back; it was for the same reason the Rameshwaram high school teacher had lined up his entire batch of students including the young APJ Abdul Kalam; who became the “Rocket Man of India” and later on the President of India; by the sea side to teach about the flying machine. The students were asked to look at the birds and observe how do they fly in the sky.
I believe it was for the same reason why Sir Ken Robinson in one of his TED talks spoke about a small interaction between a teacher and a young student engaged in a drawing activity. I recollect the conversation was somewhat like this:
“…and what are you drawing?”, asked the teacher.
“I am drawing a picture God” said the student.
“But nobody knows what God looks like”, said the teacher.
“Just wait! They will see in a minute”, the student replied without lifting her head from the drawing book.”
Wasn’t that an interesting and meaningful dialogue?
How a mother used metaphor to convey her son for the first time that he is blind
And, I believe; again; it was for the same reason why the authors (Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone) of the world-famous book titled “Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude” thought it necessary to mention about a communication between a mother and her son.
The mother chose the metaphoric way to convey a message of utmost importance.
“George Campbell couldn’t see, but the love and faith of his parents made his life rich. As a very young boy, he did not know that he was missing anything.
And then, when George was six years old, something happened which he was not able to understand. One afternoon he was playing with another youngster. The other boy, forgetting that George was blind, tossed a ball to him. “Look out! It will hit you!”
The ball did hit George — and nothing in his life was quite the same after that. George was not hurt, but he was greatly puzzled. Later he asked his mother. “How could Bill know what’s going to happen to me before I know it?”
His mother sighed, for now the moment she dreaded had arrived.
Now it was necessary for her to tell her son for the first time: “You are blind.” And here is how she did it:
“Sit down, George,” she said softly as she reached over and took one of his hands. “I may not be able to describe it to you, and you may not able to understand, but let me try to explain it this way.” And sympathetically she took one of his little hands in hers and started counting the fingers.
‘One — two — three — four — five. These are similar to what is known as the five senses.” She touched each finger between her thumb and index finger in sequence as she continued the explanation.
“This little finger for hearing; this little finger for touch; this little finger for smell; this one for taste,” and then she hesitated before continuing: “this little finger for sight. And each of the five senses, like each of the five fingers, sends messages to your brain.”
Then she closed the little finger which she had named “sight” and tied it so that it would stay next to the palm of George’s hand.
“George, you are different from other boys,” she explained, “because you have the use of only four senses, like four fingers: one, hearing — two, touch — three, smell — and four, taste. But you don’t have the use of your sense of sight. Now I want to show you something. Stand up,” she said gently.
George stood up. His mother picked up his ball. “Now hold out your hand as if you were going to catch this,” she said.
George held out his hands, and in a moment he felt the hardball hit his fingers. He closed them tightly around it and caught it.
“Fine. Fine,” said his mother. “I never want you to forget what you have just done. You can catch a ball with four fingers instead of five, George. You can also catch and hold a full and happy life with four senses instead of five — if you get in there and keep trying.”
So, with the metaphor she used, she could comfortably convey the message to her son for the first time that he is blind.
Also, she made it a point to make him believe that he will be able to live a normal and full life despite being blind.
Her metaphoric way of communication helped the young George to realise what is missing in him and also come in term with the reality of life.
Also, the conversation had created a want in his mind to see the world as others see it.
The beautiful way
Metaphoric communication — isn’t it a better and beautiful way of telling things to someone?
Use of appropriate metaphor proved to be much useful in effective communication.
It can have a magical effect in communicating well and achieving the set objective.
What you say is important but what is more important is how you say it.
Use of appropriate metaphor makes a big difference.
