Lessons from a Lock-up

Posted on by Miriam

I have a confession to make. I’m not a very good mum. In fact I’m neglectful, thoughtless and sometimes I wonder how I could possibly deserve the awesomeness in my life.

How else can I explain leaving Harry in the car overnight, for thirteen hours?What sort of person takes their son for a driving lesson at 5pm in the evening, with their dog in the back seat, excited at yet another outing (the dog, not me!) and then forgets about them? Totally.

I mean, for the rest of the night. I just didn’t notice that he wasn’t around.

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Sometimes we get engrossed in our own little world.

THE EXCUSE

In my defence, we had lots on our mind. We were super busy sorting out important finance stuff and other things took priority but … yeah, I know, I can hear the recriminating “that’s no excuse”.

My son fed him dinner in his bowl as usual, but Harry doesn’t always come when called and he eats when he wants to eat. Food’s not a high priority. I sometimes wonder whether he’s a real dog or not.

Woo-hoo, a toy!  Harry’s not fussed about food but he loves a new toy. At Christmas time he’s the biggest kid around.

You have to understand. Harry’s not the most alpha dog in the world, he rarely barks (unless he’s playing with his mate across the road Chuckles).  He makes more noise when he’s dreaming than when he’s awake, wooing and growling in his sleep.

He’s as relaxed and undemanding as they come and unless he wants something he’s usually on his back.

When we went to bed we wondered why we hadn’t seen him but assumed he was either in my son’s room, supervising him as he did his homework, or doing his sloth imitation, asleep somewhere in his favourite, albeit undignified position.

THE REALITY

Clearly he was sleeping, but unbeknown to us, it was in the car.

If only Harry was a bit more vocal we might have heard him. But that’s not him. He’s a bit of an ‘old soul’ with his big brown teddy bear eyes and scraggy scruffy coat.

He came into our life eleven years ago as a rescue dog with a few issues but fundamentally a softie.

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He loves his walks, his car trips and head scruffs and, like all dogs, is unconditionally loving and accepting. He’s happy with whatever life throws at him.

He probably has no concept of time too, which is just as well.

Can you imagine how excited he was when the penny dropped the following morning and I ran out to the car (in pitch blackness in my nightie!) to let him out?  He thought all his Christmas’s had come at once.

Is anyone willing to confess to anything like this or am I the only neglectful parent around here?

Eyes wide open but I wonder, what IS he thinking?

Oh well, on the bright side, he probably feels as though he’s had a night out. He had total dominion over my car and if dogs could drive who knows where he might have ended up. Still, his night in the lock up was over.

THE LESSONS

Imagine if dogs could talk. I wonder what they’d say. Maybe …

Be patient. Things always work out for the best in the end.

It’s okay. Don’t hold a grudge. Life’s too short to worry about the petty things.

Chill out, relax and don’t stress so much. Stop being so hard on yourself.

Hey, I’m me, like it or not, don’t judge. Life’s so much easier when we’re not pretending to be something we’re not.

Live in the moment. There’s nothing like smelling the roses and feeling the wind in your face (or having a night alone in a car.)

Every day’s a good day. Doesn’t matter if we’re doing the same old stuff every day. It’s simply awesome to be alive.

THE VERDICT

Dogs know how to make the most of every opportunity.

Maybe they’re simply hanging out for their next road trip. I can definitely relate to that!

Here’s to taking a lead from our four legged friends, being kind to ourselves and not taking life too seriously. Everything always works out.

Here’s to loving life and enjoying the journey with eyes wide open.

In light, love and laughter

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Outanabout YOLO “You only live once.

112 thoughts on “Lessons from a Lock-up”

  1. Oh poor Harry, I’m sure he is the forgiving type. Our dog who was a rescue is a bit the same, quiet, never complains, never puts himself in the limelight – I think rescue dogs are just grateful to be part of a loving family. 💕They teach us a lot.

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      1. We have accidentally left one of our dogs locked in the bedroom…we feed them apart lol…watching tv and its where is Sally….lucky for her she was on the bed…if she could have she would have turned the telly on lol

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        5. hahaha yes….Your dog is gorgeous xx our previous dogs when we were traveling around australia. We were in a cabin. They were in the car. We woke up in the night and could hear very loud music…it was like turn it down we are trying to sleep. Go out at first light the music was coming from our car. Our dogs had turned it on…How embarrassed we were lol…thinking it was our neighbors lol

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  9. That tends to happen at times. Poor Harry! But I’m sure he’s not the type to hold a grudge against you. Thank heavens that this lock-up wasn’t during the daytime. We have a lot of lessons to learn from dogs. They are so loving, grateful and they sure know how to make the best out of any opportunity! Here’s to taking a lead or two from our four-legged friends. Hope you had a great weekend, Miriam. It’s been a long while since I last stopped by. I’ve missed you! ❤

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    1. Hi Shweta, yes definitely lucky it wasn’t during the daytime, though I think I would have noticed more then as I often take him for walks. At night he just flops down and sleeps. Great to hear from you Shweta. I’ve missed you too. Hope you had a terrific weekend. ❤️

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  11. Not guilty! Harry enjoyed another little adventure – or was sleeping! He’d have probably barked if he was anxious. Or chewed his way to freedom…
    Dogs are great at living in the moment, almost always excited over each new experience – smarter than us!

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    1. Loved your comment PC! They are smarter than us and you’re absolutely right, he’d have let us know if he was anxious and nothing was chewed so I’m presuming he slept all night. Thanks for the not guilty verdict! 🙂

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  13. I had to laugh because yes, I too left my dog in the truck. Unbeknownst to me, he jumped in the back seat. I moved the truck from one place to another on our property. Pretty soon, we hear the horn honking. I felt bad because it was pretty warm in there when we got him out. Thank goodness our dogs love us and forgive us.

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  16. Oh my, Harry and His Excellent Adventure!!! Ha. Poor thing, I hope he was alright…he was probably thinking, how cool I have the whole place to myself…a night under the stars, what could be better than this!! Boy you sure did have a lot on your mind not to notice he was missing. But then as you said he’s often off somewhere lying about. Funny Barney used to lie in that same position, in fact I have that very picture of Barney on my nightstand, it always makes me smile. Well I’m so glad that Harry is fine…Mom’s probably going to beat herself up for a while, but she should go back and read “if dogs could talk what they would tell us” and listen to them. Big doggy hugs xo ❤

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    1. Aww, sounds like Barney and Harry would have got along just brilliantly! It was weird cos I said to Doug before going to bed “I haven’t seen Harry in a while” but I was so exhausted I just figured he was with Daniel. Agh, senile ole me! But Harry was fine in the morning, just super excited to see me. Can you imagine how bad I felt! Oh well, we’ve just come back from a long walk now, I’m sure it’s history for him. Enjoy your Sunday night. Big hugs xo p.s I couldn’t find that profile pic of you on Skype 🤔

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      1. They definitely would have. I bet he was super excited to see you…they are anyways…but after this night he most certainly was! Maybe he thought he was going for a ride…lol!! Oh yes I can imagine how bad you felt, I’m sure he’s long forgotten it and didn’t feel bad about it to begin with. When you look, the skype name is dacbrc…the one it shows for you is miricappozzo is that the right one? Big hugs xo

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        1. I’ve just sent you a message on Skype. That must have been an old account of mine. Really old as that’s my maiden name. 🤨 We’re getting closer!! Yay! Hugs back xo

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  19. Oh Miriam, I’m so glad that Harry was no worse for the wear! To be completely honest, I’ve accidentally locked Roxy out in the garage. Didn’t know she was out there when I was hauling in groceries. When I realized she was missing (Where’s Roxy?) there she was, sitting at the door, waiting to be let in – no barking, no scratching, nothing. Just absolute confidence that we wouldn’t fail her! I felt horrible, she was, like Harry, just happy to see us! And like Harry, she held no grudge, and went about living her carefree life! Great post! ~ Lynn

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    1. Hi Lynn, thanks for that. I’m so happy to hear that I’m not the only forgetful mum. You’re right, both Roxy and Harry survived, aren’t they just so patient and once they got over the excitement of being let out, probably forgot about it within minutes. Unlike us guilty ones!! 🙂

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  20. You must have had a lot on your mind. I don’t think you’re a bad mum. You’re amazing! I hope Harry was ok. He looks like the cutest dog ever. I can imagine what you must have felt when you realised he was locked in the car for the whole night. 😦 But I am sure all’s forgiven. He doesn’t look like someone who holds grudges. xo

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    1. No, I’m sure he doesn’t. In fact I think he got over it as soon as he was let out! It was me left feeling guilty. Bad mum or not, I’ve learned my lesson. Always check the back seat! xo 🙂

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  22. What a wonderful dog….and such great lessons! It would be amazing if dogs could talk (although we may not always like what they have to say)! 🙂

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  27. Aww poor Harry. But I am sure he is fine, still loves you dearly and just really really thankful you opened up that car door. He has probably forgotten already and will leap into the car, the very next opportunity given.
    Bad doggie mommy 🙂 x

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  29. Not only is Harry a handsome and faithful companion and friend, but he’s possessed of wisdom well beyond his (doggy) years! I have a new goal in life; be more like Harry. Everybody needs a role model, and your dog is now mine. 😂

    I assume, mum, that he was rewarded handsomely for his patience in the morning? 😉

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    1. Haha, you make me laugh Tom. I’m sure this is the first time Harry’s been referred to as a role model. 😆
      And yes, he got plenty of attention, pats and food the following morning. 😊

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  35. No worries! My first thought was exactly like Deb’s! Harry, probably just thought “Wow, We’ll this is Cool!” Wondering what he did, to deserve it. Everyone loves a change once an awhile and this was his! He was probably dreaming about his new “Digs”, then Whoa! in the morning, lots and lots of kisses, pats and food! “Wow, We’ll this Cool!”. Love the story and thanks for sharing!

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  36. I think you expressed exactly what dogs would say to us if the could. (Except that my dog Lucy would add, “Feed me more. A lot more. In fact, give me all your food.”
    As for Harry, no harm was done. It was nighttime so he probably just slept through the whole thing. If he had been upset, he would have raised a fuss and you would have heard him. He reminds me of a dog our family had growing up. One afternoon we couldn’t find her and were starting to get very worried. Then Mom opened the door to the closet where she kept her laundry and ironing supplies, and there was the dog: sound asleep in the basket of clean laundry! Most dogs would bark if they were locked in a closet, BB just found a comfortable spot and went to sleep!

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  39. Oh, Miriam! Hahaha. This post made me laugh out loud, but I also can imagine how terrible you must have felt. The good news is that Harry loves the socks off of you, so when you came to let him out of the car in the morning, and he saw your face, it was simply the greatest moment of his life. We can all learn from dogs, and I think that those are precisely the things they would tell us. Makes me desperately want to adopt a dog, but I must stay focused on the task at hand right now, and wait a while longer to find my furry soulmate. Enjoy that little bundle of love and fur and have another wonderful day, my friend! xo

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    1. You’re right Tanya, I think when Harry saw me in the morning he thought it was the best day of his life! Thanks for making me smile with your gorgeous comment. xo 🙂 P.S You can adopt Harry any time. I have no doubt he’d adore you!

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  40. Awww.. I am sure Harry would forgive. And I so totally agree with every word you said about the furry angels!! I have a darling at home, named Oshin, who I sometimes wonder is God in disguise. She makes me divinely happy just by a look …with her wide glittering innocent eyes.

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  41. Hello Miriam,
    I wasn’t sure where your introduction was heading and I watched your story unfold, knowing how easily a distracted, even dreamy, mind can draw us away from details!
    Harry sounds like a wonderful pet.
    As I don’t have one, I can’t share any ‘I’ve done that’ stories but I can tell you my mother in law left her new baby in the pram at the shops…and I forgot to collect my children from school.! I hope that helps a little!
    You’re right, we mustn’t be hard on ourselves and remember to take things in our stride…
    A happy ending post and lovely message. Thank you my friend 🙋🏻💕

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    1. Thanks Di, we all have our moments of forgetfulness don’t we? You’re right, Harry’s a wonderful pet and a big part part of our family. He brings so much joy and laughter to our days (except when he runs away!) Hope you’re having a lovely weekend and keeping warm over there in that big freeze. xo 🙂

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      1. Oh we do, Miriam. Yes, Harry looks and sounds beautiful.
        All good here regarding the snow. It’s melted now and hard to imagine it was really ever around. A lot changes in a day!

        Have a wonderful and fulfilling week my dear friend 🙋🏻💕

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  43. Awww, poor guy! But you’re so right, no use crying over spilled milk, and I love how real you are about your foibles here–hey, we’re all human! Great job showing us your real side and learning to laugh in the end. No harm done. 🙂

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  44. Miriam! I know this is from a ways back and yet is the very thing I needed to read! Funny how the universe works that way. “Everything works out” is what I know to be true and can be such a challenge to trust in this journey.
    Glad Harry was okay and I hope you’ve forgiven yourself! ❤️

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    1. Glad this resonated with you Tiffany. I had to read it again to remember what I wrote. Yes, everything does work out doesn’t it? Sending big hugs xo ❤️
      P.S Harry’s sleeping in the sun, thoroughly content, as I write this! 🙂

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