The Sounding Board.

Sounding board technique is used to collect views from others who matter. The “sounder”, then fine tunes his/her thinking. Trusted persons and well wishers act as the Sounding Board.

On various occasions, the little typhoon has employed this technique on me, for altogether different purposes – mischievous acts.  I used to wonder where from she has picked up that wisdom or was she born with it!

The little Typhoon always carried with her a bag of tricks – stuffed with odds & ends for the play in mind. Grapevine has it, that she has 20 such bags ready for use as the mood demanded.

Be it a tuition class or surgical session or scaremongering (or) starting a mini war – she was ready with an earmarked bag.

In her vernacular dictionary (Telugu), “us” means “me” after some time.

Does it appear a little perplexing? Let me explain. To start with she will say “let us do it” and the moment her doubts are cleared (or) a procedure has been partially  understood, she will drop the “us” like hot potatoes and start using “let me do it” This is temerity for you.

The varieties of play things available on the menu card, allowed her to cook up both the games (a la carte) & the rules of play (always in her favour). The sheer permutation & combinations she works out is truly amazing!

She almost takes it for granted that I will participate willingly (or) unwillingly! That particular day, she decided to play with balloons and make balls of different shapes. She has already tried it at home, but the filled air had leaked and balls shrunk to marble size.

She was unable to tie a thread, tightly at the neck of the inflated balloon. That was not acceptable and she did not know how to solve that technical problem. But any how she showed me the shrunken shapes as a fait accompli.

That was when she took me on board, with an “us” request to find a solution for that vexatious issue. I demonstrated the technique of filling air, holding the balloon’s neck in a “pinch”, stretching the neck and knot it to hold the air in.

She watched in rapt attention as my fingers coordinated in stretching & knotting the neck. Losing interest in this play (for a change “us” did not become “me”) and not willing to give credit to me, she abruptly changed the topic. She was obviously trying to cover up her de-fait accompli.

She wanted to know how a ship floats in water and how an airplane flies without flapping wings.

With the help of a bucket of water and a paper boat, laden with plastic objects, I introduced Mr. Archimedes to her. A paper airplane, actually a rudimentary one, did help her to understand some of the aerodynamic principles.

She was enthused by the demonstration with the paper objects – it might have appealed to her “origami” talents. Partial understanding of the mechanisms of floating & flying was sufficient.

She immediately dropped the “us” and started using “let me explain to you…..”  Then we took up playing the game of filling and bursting of polyethylene bags and paper covers – salvaged items from her house, kept naturally in a separate bag!

This game was played by “us”, as she had not yet mastered the art of crimping and holding the open end of the covers/bags, to retain filled air. Here she needed my help the most or otherwise there was no game at all to play!

Then, gingerly she took the crimped end from me, came behind and smashed the inflated cover on my back.
The bursting and the loud bang thrilled her and pained me. Who cares? Now, are you wondering about the connection between the title and the narration?

Let us (not the “us” mentioned till the balloon incident) read the first paragraph again, trace the metamorphosis of “us” to “me” , sounding me out with her doubts ,seeking clarification , sticking with “us” when the chips are down, reverting to “me” when the game was in her hands.

As a good will gesture, using my back to burst the air filled bags with “bangs”. Do you see the connection now? Now, reminisce such incidents you had and share them :) I’m pretty sure you have come across ‘Typhoon’s’ in your life.