{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Blindsight","title":"Shut Up (Kindly) and Listen: Active Listening, Safe Storytelling, and Communication in the Blind Community","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3163,"description":"Episode Summary\n\nThis episode of Blindsight takes a deep dive into one of the most essential yet difficult skills in mental and emotional health: active listening. Host Bill Lundgren and returning guest-turned-co-host Bethany Joy Boring explore how silence, curiosity, and emotional safety shape meaningful connection—especially within the blind and low-vision community, where non-visual cues and communication dynamics differ from the sighted world.\n\nBill and Bethany demonstrate a live role-play showing how quickly conversation can derail when someone asserts dominance, makes assumptions, or stops listening. They break down the moment tension begins, the bodily sensations that signal emotional shifts, and the way triggers—both spoken and unspoken—shape responses.\n\nListeners learn:\nWhy silence can be a powerful connector rather than something to fear\nHow to approach storytelling only with people who feel safe\nHow to gently redirect when someone interrupts, overpowers, or shifts the focus\nThe emotional cost of constantly “filling space” when you are blind or hard of hearing\nHow to identify your “marble jar people” (those who can hold your real story)\nThe importance of permission: knowing when someone wants listening, guidance, or simply presence\nThis conversation is honest, practical, and deeply human—offering strategies for better communication, better boundaries, and better emotional awareness.\n\nContact Info\nGuest / Co-Host\nBethany Joy Boring — Mental Health Consultant & Author\nAftersight\nWebsite: aftersight.org\nFeedback & questions: feedback@aftersight.org\nPhone: (720) 712-8856\nProducer\nJonathan Price — Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight\njonathan@aftersight.org\n\nShow Credits\nHost: Bill Lundgren\nCo-Host: Bethany Joy Boring\nProducer: Jonathan Price\nAn Aftersight Original Podcast\n\n4) Chapter Markers\n00:00 — Opening & Topic Introduction\n01:12 — Why Active Listening Is Hard Today\n02:40 — Role-Play: When Communication Breaks Down\n04:52 — Identifying the Moment...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/A8C9JGNU5UI2p2zaKFeLOzFo1TOdq76dG54TzkOTCT4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mMmE5/YzFhYzk5ZmMwOTRm/YjM1NTEwZGRkMTk5/MjkzYi5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}