What's the Blockage?

This post started off with the title of What's the Hook?  A question that I've found myself using quite a few times this week, albeit in different ways.  But I kept getting stuck with what to follow.  I guess this was my own blockage…

So I changed it to What's the blockage?

What's the blockage? Has a lot of resonance this week. Not just because somehow, some way I was having my own little block with what to share with you.  But also, because it's one week since Khan had emergency surgery to remove a number of significant blockages.  It's what happens if you eat your bed! I wanted to spare you from the mental image of this and chose this image of the trees changing colour instead.  

Eating beds isn’t unusual for puppies but Khan is a 6-year old 47kg dobermann!  If you put the point of causality at this point, it was a blockage of his own making.  At another point it could be our fault for buying the type of bed that unravels into a continuous string.  It depends on the frame of reference.

There's also been a blocked sink this week.  Well, I say this week, it's been draining slowly for quite a while.  The blockage has been a gradual thing.  You know the type; the water builds up as the tap is running.  Then it takes a while for it to clear.  So, you put the drain buster down it.  It’s not wholly unsuccessful, it runs quicker for a day or two, or maybe longer than that.  But then, you have to repeat this, leaving it overnight…just to be sure. 

At some point you realise that it’s not worked the way that you wanted it to.  Time to take the plunge!  Ok, sorry for that!  But nevertheless, it’s time to buy a plunger.  You want to buy the big one, to make a really good job of it this time. Despite expectations, there wasn’t a sudden gushing of gunk; or even a spluttering of debris.  There was recognition that gaffer tape was needed to cover up the other exit points. 

A supervisee also recognised a blockage, as they were working with a feeling of getting stuck with a client.  We started to look at what the hook was?  But moved on to clear the blockage.  The next day I got this brilliant feedback;

                                          “Thank you for today.  It was so helpful and was certainly a shit dip !!!!!
                                         But I felt that I was a lot more calm, in control and professional 
                                         ...my god I shall be honing and using my knowledge...and learning with this.”

How do you recognise if there’s a blockage? How do you deal with a blockage?  Do you ignore it, until the water levels rise?  Do you confront it?  Do you deny it?  Do you distract yourself?  Sometimes it’s useful to tackle blockages head on.  Sometimes other tactics bring better results.

The sink is going to take more investigation.  For now, it is running more freely.  And we know that further routine maintenance is going to be needed. 

Khan is on the mend and acting more like a puppy.  We’ve removed the offending beds, replacing them with vet bedding.  He has been caught dragging this out of his cage, but the risk has been removed.  There were a few days that keeping him quiet (!!!!) was critical.  The obstacles has been removed, for good.

What works best for you?  I’m still working out how I’ve been blocking myself.  And the best way to unblock…
A bit like therapy really.
Please feel free to leave a comment, or contact me
Sharon Rooke,
[email protected]
07966 453387

---