For our eyes only – blind man’s bluff

There comes a time in the life of every person when he or she wants to enact a role that is not his original self. One of these is that of a blind person. In fact, this instinct of role reversal begins in childhood. That is when children cover their eyes and play blind man’s bluff. A group of them gets together and one among them has to become ‘blind’ by getting his or her eyes covered. The others then move away and hide in nearby places. When indoors, these could be behind walls, doors, or cupboards. When outdoors, they could opt for trees, shrubs, or any similar object. Once they have sought out apparently safe ‘hideouts’, the blindfolded child has to move around and locate at least one of them and catch or at least touch him or her. The game becomes interesting as the children try to confuse the ‘blind’ kid by giving wrong directions.

Incidentally, this game is not meant only for the children. Even the adults enjoy such activities, especially when they go outdoors. Here the elders have a field day recollecting their childhood. The usual procedure is to blindfold the individual, who has to break an earthen pot. He or she is given a long bamboo stick and the pot is placed at a distance. The ‘blind’ person has to break the pot. Sounds simple enough but the barrage of directions given by the others make it difficult to hit the target. This game is usually scheduled before lunch and provides unbridled fun while it lasts. Incidentally, this is a gradually vanishing game because such outdoor picnics are rare nowadays. Such modes of relaxation are outdated in the age of smartphones because social sites like Facebook provide much more variety.

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