A juvenile delinquent dog or the price of adulthood

18 January 2018

A juvenile delinquent dog or the price of adulthood

When your teenage son or daughter is brought home in a police van, this is not usually an occasion to celebrate and you fervently hope none of the neighbours noticed. When the same happens to your adolescent dog, you find it amusing -to say the least- and you enjoy telling the story in full detail.

So we found it quite hilarious when a police officer led Django to our front door, meek as a lamb. Mister Django had only recently discovered and 'sampled' the females of his kind - to his great appreciation -, and he had been out looking for more. He had found the weak spot in our garden fence and gone off exploring.

When seen from his perspective, you cannot really blame him. Even I sympathise that as a living creature he wants to move freely just like us humans. He had already escaped a few times that week, but had always come back of his own accord. But that day he hadn't, and my search in the neighbourhood turned up nothing.

Finally it appeared that he had been 'paying a visit' to people in the next street, who also have a dog. They didn't know him, so had called the police who could trace him back to us through his chip implant. We got away with a warning and have promptly mended the gap in our garden fence.

The incident reminds me of how organised and controlled we adult humans really are, and how we desperately try to contain everything within certain limits. This is not how we come into the world however. Until the age of four, children are convinced of their own strength and heroism (I know this for a fact, with a grandson of that age who is wonderfully inspiring) and often childhood is a time of a careless freedom and endless possibilities. It is not really surprising that as adolescents we start a final rebellion as if we are perfectly aware of what awaits us in adult life.

When we reach the age of adulthood we seem to have internalised all those responsibilities, expectations and limitations - in what is called adult and responsible behaviour. As if the free creatures that we once were are forgotten. When we do not find a balance in this, the price to pay can be high.

In my coaching practice I meet quite a few people who struggle with this. This translates into feelings of not being 'enough', of being scared and feeling locked up, in often unwittingly wanting to comply to certain standards and expectations.

As coach I can help you to find back the light and strong person within yourself and to create a beautiful balance between the lightness of your inner child and the maturity of your grown-up self.

It is up to you to take the first step and all the following ones. I realise that this takes a lot of courage and investment in yourself. But the result is priceless. Read the testimonials of a few clients on this website to feel what a coaching journey can do for you. A sample session is free, with the additional bonus of a warm welcome by Django at the front door.

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